World of HR: Starbucks to open corporate office in India

Starbucks appears to be continuing its reorg with an international expansion, according to recent news.

Where in the world? Starbucks is opening a corporate technology office in India, according to Bloomberg. The first of its kind for the company in the country, the office is proposed to open in fiscal year 2027 to technology workers, whose jobs were previously outsourced to contractors. The company is bringing these roles in-house as part of ongoing cost-reduction efforts, according to reports.

Starbucks pointed to its existing relationships with contractors in India and the region’s notoriety as a talent hub as reasons for the decision, India Today reported.

Satellite view. The coffee giant has conducted numerous rounds of layoffs over the past 15 months, including 2,000 roles in 2025. In May it cut 61 tech jobs in Seattle, and 300 additional corporate roles in its HQ city and from around the country. It also said it will close corporate offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, and Burbank, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In April, the company announced a $100 million investment in a new Nashville office, and plans to hire for 2,000 support jobs over the next five years and relocate some employees from Seattle. However, recent reports indicate that employees are hesitant to relocate, and that the request has impacted trust, according to sources who spoke to Bloomberg.

Starbucks has tried to regain its footing after a myriad of changes, including the appointment of a new Chief Technology Officer Anand Varadarajan and CEO Brian Niccol. In April it reported revenue growth for the first time in two years.