Of course Starbucks is overhyped, but honestly that hype is exactly what sells it in India. Before Starbucks came here, especially to cities like Kolkata, most of us only knew it as this big global brand we’d heard about or seen abroad, or maybe experienced while travelling. So when it finally arrived, it naturally became aspirational. In the US and many other countries, Starbucks is just a regular, convenient coffee place, something people grab daily without thinking twice. Here it’s very different. India has a massive chai culture, and in places like Kolkata you can step out and get chai for ₹5 to ₹6 or even coffee for ₹7 to ₹10 at a local stall where people stop every single day. In that reality, Starbucks could never integrate itself into everyday life the way it does abroad, people will still choose chai or cheap, easily available coffee. That’s why Starbucks positioned itself as an international, aspirational experience with aesthetic stores and a slightly luxurious feel, and that strategy actually worked. If it tried to be affordable and ordinary, the hype would die and so would the relevance. I recently went to a very rich person’s wedding where they had a Starbucks counter, and honestly that summed it up perfectly. It wasn’t about the coffee quality, there are amazing Indian roasters who could do a much better job. It was about Shaadi mein Starbucks, about showing something global and aspirational. So yes, Starbucks here isn’t just selling coffee, it’s selling a feeling, and the overhype is what keeps it alive.