Starbucks and Tata open new coffee roasting and packaging plant in India

Starbucks Coffee Company and Tata Coffee Limited inaugurated a roasting and packaging plant in Kushalnagar in Coorg, Karnataka on 8 February. The facility is only the second Starbucks roasting operation outside of the United States, with another facility in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In a statement, Starbucks said that the newest operation will enable roasting and packaging of green coffee beans for Starbucks stores in India and, over time, in select markets around the globe. “The inauguration of the roasting plant in India represents a significant milestone for Starbucks and Tata Coffee,” said John Culver, President, Starbucks Coffee China and Asia Pacific, in a statement. “This deepens our sourcing relationship with India’s coffee farmers and further demonstrates our long-term commitment to sourcing high-quality Arabica coffee.” Commenting on the inauguration, Hameed Huq, Managing Director, Tata Coffee, said in a statement, “We are delighted to partner with Starbucks and operationalise this important roasting facility. The plant leverages our combined strengths and passion for sharing the finest-quality coffees with customers.” This facility, spread across 8258 square feet with an installed capacity of 375 metric tonnes (MT), has been readied for commercial run, the company stated. In addition to the state-of-the-art roaster, the plant has a PLC-operated green coffee handling system for effective control of recipe, and automatic filling and automatic sealing line boosted with high-precision testing equipment to comply with the quality standards of the companies. The operations are supported by an efficient utilities section and sophisticated equipment, and boasts of the best-in-class safety systems, the company stated. The plant has three major sections – a Green Coffee Storage and Handling section, a Roasting section, and a Packing and Dispatch section. The two companies have paired together to “develop and improve the profile of Indian-grown arabica coffees around the world by elevating the stature of Indian coffee, as well as improving the quality of coffee through sustainable practices” the companies stated. The result has been an Indian Espresso Roast, served in Starbucks stores across India. India currently has a close to 100 per cent import duty on roasted coffee.