Laxman Narasimhan makes first homecoming trip as Starbucks CEO
Laxman Narasimhan; photo credit: Starbucks
For the first time since taking the helm of Starbucks, Indian American chief executive officer Laxman Narasimhan was in India this week on his first homecoming trip.
The two-city visit was especially personal, as Narasimhan was raised in Pune and spent several years working in Mumbai (Bombay) before moving abroad, according to a press release.
In partnership with India-based Tata Starbucks Private Limited, Starbucks currently operates 390 stores in 54 cities across the country and employs nearly 4,300 partners (employees), with plans to open 1,000 stores by 2028 – the equivalent of one store opening every three days.
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Reflecting on that upward trend, Narasimhan announced the opening of 1,000 additional stores throughout India over the next four years. He also reinforced Starbucks’ ambition to reach new customers in innovative ways, wherever they are.
Future store formats will continue to celebrate inclusion and diversity, while also emphasizing third-place experiences that foster meaningful human connections over coffee, the release said.
In Mumbai, Narasimhan engaged with dozens of store partners and helped announce the winners of this year’s Starbucks Coffee Championship. A young barista named Madhav took home the trophy for his region.
During a partner open forum, Narasimhan shared memories of growing up in India and his journey from a curious child who loved the game of cricket – India’s favorite sport – to his humble beginning decades later at Starbucks as a Barista.
At a time when the world feels so divided and in conflict, Narasimhan believes Starbucks can provide people with places to come together, to connect and to find common ground while also feeling a sense of belonging and joy.
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He referred frequently to the company’s recently unveiled Triple Shot Reinvention strategy, which means more opportunity than ever for growth in India’s trillion-dollar economy.
This includes the announcement of a second Reserve store to open in the market and the forthcoming global release of the locally grown Starbucks Reserve(R) whole bean coffee, Monsooned Malabar.
“Coffee is the heart of this company, and we must all learn and embrace it,” he said. “The promise of India is enormous, but for us to accomplish [our goals], we need to be sure we’re building a business that’s got great substance, that’s got a great core to it, and is differentiated. At our best for our customers in India, we uplift them every day.”
