India will soon be waking up to freshly brewed coffee from US coffee chain Starbucks after a deal was signed between the company and Asia’s coffee plantation company Tata Coffee.
The two companies have a signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) where they will collaborate on the promotion of responsible agronomy practices, including training for local farmers, technicians and agronomists to improve their coffee-growing and milling skills.
“This MoU is the first step in our entry to India. We are focused on exploring local sourcing and roasting opportunities with the thousands of coffee farmers within the Tata ecosystem,” Howard Schulz, Starbucks Coffee Company chairman, president and CEO, said.
In the past, Tata Coffee has supplied coffee beans to Starbucks and believes this deal will help structure its long-term relationship.