Starbucks Coffee Co. (Seattle) may soon be stepping into the Indian market through an alliance with Tata Coffee Ltd., reports The Wall Street Journal.
The Starbucks outlets—which would offer the brand's coffees and food—are likely to be located in retail stores and hotels associated with the Tata group, reports The Journal.
A spokesman for Starbucks, Corey duBrowa, told The Journal that talks with the Tata group are moving forward and that the U.S. company hopes to make an announcement soon.
The Tata group runs its hotel operations through Indian Hotels Co., which owns and manages the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces brand, while its retail operations are operated by Trent Ltd. and the privately owned Infiniti Retail Ltd.
The initial agreement between the two companies was to source and roast premium coffee beans in India, with the possibility of exploring retail.