Starbucks Coffee is coming to India!

Well, I think the Seattle based company finally realized the potential that this market has. They launched the stores in china way back in 1999; did it actually take them 6 years to deicide that their coffee will sell in India? Especially in south India where the per capital consumption of coffee is close to 250mg!

But whatever be the case, they are going to be here pretty soon, and I am thoroughly going to enjoy that cup of coffee and a pastry before work in the morning! Starbucks still have not confirmed any plans, but they are here and they are here to stay. It’s going to be some massive competion between Starbucks and Barista when Starbucks finally arrives.

Starbucks buys a lot of coffee beans from TATA Coffee Ltd, Asia’s largest consolidated coffee company. Ironically, TATA coffee also owns more than 30% of Barista, India’s own version of Starbucks Coffee, but obviously the promoters deny that. Think about it, Coffee, the go out experience, Wi-Fi, music downloads next? See a pattern?

But the TATA owned Barista has a massive advantage, for one, they have all the prime real estate. Barista also has access to TATA Coffee’s roasters and plantation. Starbucks doesn’t have any roasters here in India, let alone in Asia! Barista’s coffee will also be a tad cheaper than Starbucks when it finally does arrive here, but I can’t say that for certain. But Starbucks has other plans.

"Starbucks has learned several lessons in China. One is that it really doesn't need to go after the masses. All it needs is the upper 10 percent of India's booming middle class to support a base of 100 stores and then go from there."

When asked about Starbucks’ entry into India, Union minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh said that he had been informed that it would be in collaboration with “a big name in real estate’. He hoped that all sections of the plantation industry welcome Starbucks’ entry as it would result in as a growth in domestic consumption which had remained largely stagnant and confined to Tamil Nadu despite the success of chains like Cafe Coffee Day and Barista. The Big name apparently is the leading real-estate entity Rahejas.

I just can’t wait for the day when I’m early to office and Starbuck’s is on the way!