Starbucks Coffee Company, together with Tata Starbucks, has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to India by announcing a new Farmer Support Partnership aimed at strengthening the country’s coffee value chain from bean to cup.
The initiative, established through collaboration between Starbucks Coffee Company and Tata Starbucks Private Limited, seeks to empower 10,000 Indian coffee farmers by 2030. It will connect farmers with local agronomists and global best practices through open-source agronomy, supporting sustainable and high-quality coffee production.
Based in Karnataka, the Farmer Support Partnership will work closely with Starbucks Coffee Trading Company, the company’s global procurement and trading arm. The programme will draw on Tata Starbucks’ local expertise and India’s coffee-growing heritage, alongside Starbucks’ decades of global agronomy experience. Farmers across key coffee-producing states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala will benefit from knowledge sharing, innovation and access to global networks.
As part of the initiative, technical model farms will be developed in partnership with farmers to test sustainable solutions, introduce new coffee varietals and embed best agronomy practices suited to Indian conditions. The programme will also support agroforestry initiatives designed to improve coffee quality, productivity and climate resilience.
Indian farmers will gain access to Starbucks’ global digital training tools from 2026, offering online modules on agronomy, coffee quality and ethical sourcing practices. The partnership will also promote regenerative agriculture techniques focused on reducing carbon, water and waste footprints while strengthening social development outcomes.
Over the next five years, the Farmer Support Partnership will focus on improving coffee productivity, increasing farm profitability and building climate resilience. To further strengthen the supply chain, Tata Starbucks will donate one million high-yield Arabica coffee seedlings to farmers during this period.
The announcement coincides with a major milestone for the brand, as Tata Starbucks prepares to open its 500th coffeehouse in India this week in the Delhi NCR region. The new outlet will be a Starbucks Reserve location, offering a premium and immersive coffee experience that highlights coffee craftsmanship, heritage and storytelling.
Since entering India in 2012 as a joint venture between Starbucks Coffee Company and Tata Consumer Products, Tata Starbucks has played a significant role in shaping the country’s modern coffee culture. India is now one of Starbucks’ fastest-growing international markets, with continued focus on sustainable expansion, job creation and partner development.
The opening of the 500th store and the launch of the Farmer Support Partnership together underline Starbucks’ strategy to deepen its coffee leadership in India, while investing in farmers, communities and a more sustainable future for the Indian coffee ecosystem.
