Going local!

When Starbucks announced its launch in India, everyone was elated. After all, a well-established, popular American coffee brand was finally available in our country.  In 2012, Tata collaborated with Starbucks to bring it here and India got its first Starbucks in Mumbai.

It’s been just a few months its first store launch and Starbucks already has seven outlets in the country. While currently, the US, Canada, Japan, UK and China are its top five markets; India is emerging as one of its top five global markets.  Western chains are flocking to India and Indians are welcoming them with open arms and big profits yet this trend of ‘Indianization’  is taking away the same attributes which attracted us, in the first place.  The latest one to be indianized or rather, Delhi-ised is Starbucks which is appealing to local tastes and palates in New Delhi offering quintessentially North Indian dishes like Murg Makhani Pie and Mutton Seekh in Roomali Roti with their American Coffees and Smoothies

This is a huge compliment for India and Indian consumers wherein well-established Western brands are customizing their menus to suit our taste buds.  But, this also signifies that we flock to these brands not because we love ‘Western’ foods and drinks but simply for the brand name.