Starbucks Brews Aggressive Expansion In India: Eyes 1,000 Stores By 2028 With Workforce Doubling

Starbucks Corporation SBUX plans to operate 1,000 stores in India by 2028, or one new store opening every three days, doubling employment. 

The strategy, which JV Tata Starbucks Private Limited will manifest, focuses on skilling local partners for jobs and promoting Indian-origin coffee to Starbucks customers worldwide.

The company said in a statement that India's strategic importance as one of Starbucks' fastest-growing markets globally will see Starbucks doubling down on its presence in the market.

Tata Starbucks now operates over 390 stores across 54 Indian cities, with approximately 4,300 employees.

The company will also double its workforce to approximately 8,600 partners as it plans to enter Tier 2 and 3 Indian cities, expand drive-thrus, airports, and its 24-hour store footprint to serve customers.

Recently, the coffee chain giant's values and beliefs were under the microscope after Starbucks Workers United and its local branches, representing various U.S. stores of the chain, posted online messages supporting Palestinians.

In an annual company letter to workers, the company's CEO, Laxman Narasimhan, responded to the issues faced by the coffee chain following the outbreak of the conflict in October.

"Many of our stores have experienced incidents of vandalism. We see protestors influenced by misrepresentation on social media of what we stand for," Narasimhan said in the letter.

Read Next: Starbucks Stock Sees Longest Losing Streak Ever Amid Boycotts Over Israel, Palestine War

Price Action: SBUX shares are trading lower by 0.15% to $94.05 premarket on the last check Tuesday. 

Photo via Company