Tata Starbucks Limited, the 50/50 joint venture between Starbucks Coffee
Company (NASDAQ:SBUX) and Tata Global Beverages Limited, today marked
its first anniversary in the Indian market. To celebrate its India
journey, the company has created a special India sourced coffee, aptly
named India Estates Blend, as a tribute to its customers,
partners, coffee producers and roasters.
“We are delighted to celebrate our one year anniversary in India and
introduce for the first time a whole bean coffee that is sourced,
roasted, packaged and sold in India,” said John Culver, group president,
Starbucks China and Asia Pacific, Channel Development and Emerging
Brands. “We have a long-term commitment to work closely with the
coffee growing communities where we do business and elevate the
awareness of high-quality arabica coffee in India. This is a
proud moment for our partners as we honor India’s long-standing coffee
heritage and commemorate this historic milestone in the early days of
our India journey.”
Speaking on the occasion, Avani Davda, CEO, Tata Starbucks
Limited said, “Since launching the first store in India in October 2012,
we are incredibly humbled by the warm way in which the Indian consumer
has made the Starbucks Experience a part of their lives. We are
also grateful for the passion our partners (employees) demonstrate about
our coffees and our stores, and the instrumental role they play in
delivering the unique Starbucks Experience to our customers;
every day and with every cup. As a tribute to our customers, partners
and the coffee growers and roasters here in India, we are very proud to
launch India Estates Blend, which has been developed thoughtfully
along with Tata Coffee, specifically for the Indian market.”
Created to celebrate the India journey, India Estates Blend
captures the essence and rich heritage of the Indian coffee history and
draws inspiration from the finest arabica beans, carefully
selected from Tata Coffee’s estates spread across Coorg and Chickmagalur
– the birth place of coffee in India. It’s a perfect example of the
strong synergy between Starbucks and Tata Coffee, and their commitment
to develop and improve the profile of Indian-grown arabica
coffees. This country-specific blend creates a fine balance between
herbal and chocolate notes, perfect for sharing with friends and
neighbors. The blend has been named to represent the origin of the
coffee and the packaging has been carefully created to reflect the
nuances of traditional Indian designs.
Starbucks opened its second store in Pune, taking the total store count
to 25, across Mumbai, Delhi NCR and Pune. The Company is also
introducing India to the global favorite, Salted Caramel Mocha. Perfect
for cooler days, this rich and creamy handcrafted beverage celebrates
the goodness of salty and sweet and will be available for customers in
India starting October 25, 2013.
Starbucks® entered the Indian market in October 2012 and currently
operates twenty five stores in India across Mumbai, Delhi NCR and Pune.
Starbucks® stores are operated by the joint venture, Tata Starbucks
Limited, and branded as Starbucks Coffee - “A Tata Alliance”.
About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically
sourcing and roasting the highest-quality arabica coffee in the
world. Today, with more than 17,000 stores around the globe, the company
is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world.
Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding
principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for
every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please
visit us in our stores or online at www.starbucks.com
About Tata Global Beverages
Tata Global Beverages is a part of the global Tata Group. Tata Global
Beverages is a global beverage business and the world’s second largest
tea company. The group’s annual turnover is US $1.5 bn and it employs
around 3000 people worldwide. The Company focuses on ‘good for you’
beverages and has a stable of innovative regional and global beverage
brands , including Tata Tea, Tetley, Himalayan natural mineral water and
Eight O’ Clock Coffee. For more information, please visit www.tataglobalbeverages.com.
Copyright Business Wire 2013