October, 2021: Tata Starbucks Private Limited today announced the launch of its latest partner (employee) benefit program in India, placing the safety, comfort and aspirations of its women partners at the forefront. The new ‘Women Transportation Program’ offers its women partners working in closing shifts, a seamless commute facility to safely travel back home post night shifts, empowering them to make career choices that support their growth. This program provides women partners a chauffeur-driven car, enabled with a GPS tracking system and equipped with other safety measures for any emergencies. The program, which has currently been launched across Mumbai and Bangalore covering few stores, will be extended to a few more routes in the coming years.
Another recent development by the company on this front is the launch of its ninth all-women store on 8th October, 2021 at Jio World Drive in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). This new store is led by female partners who are Coffee Masters and is the brand’s first store in India to have a four-tap nitro capability. Starbucks announced the launch of its first all-women store in India in August 2020 last year, which marked another significant step towards creating meaningful opportunities for women in leadership within the company, and today it has 11 such stores, with more to come ahead. 
The new initiative supports the aspirations of Tata Starbucks’ women partners by offering them the flexibility to opt for a shift that meets their professional and personal requirements, thus encouraging an inclusive and supportive work environment. As per current legal guidelines that permit women employees to be at their workplace during night shifts (beyond certain stated hours by each state), as long as transportation is provided by the organization, this initiative is the perfect enabler. It enhances their career development and progression by giving them the opportunity to learn new skills and capabilities including sales and inventory management and closing-shift tasks, enabling them to gain experience in performing a wider set of roles. The initiative also helps in optimal scheduling. This enables women partners to take up night shifts, leading to better time management and comfortable shift schedules for all partners (employees).
Commenting on the launch of this women-first initiative, Sushant Dash, ceo, Tata Starbucks Pvt. Ltd said, “Partners are the heartbeat of Starbucks and we will always keep partner care at the centre of how we choose to do business. With The Women Transportation Program, our aim is to support our women partners in every possible way and at every step of their journey, empowering them to grow and progress in their careers. Our focus remains on elevating partner morale by introducing initiatives that put their safety, comfort and career development at the core. I want to thank all our 2,000+ partners in India who are dedicated and work in synergy with the company as Tata Starbucks continues to march ahead with the help of their love and support.”
“The launch of Tata Starbucks’ Women Transportation Program is a moment of pride for us and marks an important milestone in our journey of supporting and empowering our partners. They are at the heart of our company – we are not in the coffee business serving people, but in the people business serving coffee. This initiative is another step towards Tata Starbucks’ efforts to achieve 40 percent gender diversity by the end of 2022”, said Nabamita Banerjee, Head, Human (Partner) Resources, Tata Starbucks Pvt. Ltd. “
Since entering the market in 2012, Tata Starbucks has honoured its commitment to grow the representation of women in the workforce and encouraged a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion through various initiatives such as women inclusion network, second career program, mentoring opportunities etc. Tata Starbucks achieved 100 percent pay parity for women and men in 2019, a landmark accomplishment that demonstrates Starbucks commitment to gender equality globally. The brand continues to create opportunities for female partners through an ongoing series of initiatives focused on an inclusive and diverse workforce to drive business growth, and also support contributes to empowering girls and young women in communities through their education and skilling support program. By investing in partners and fostering diversity across the organization, Tata Starbucks is able to reflect the demographics of the communities Starbucks serves across India.
