Starbucks India has announced the appointment of Rahul Khona as its Chief Technology Officer, reinforcing the company’s commitment to advancing digital transformation, customer-centric innovation, and technology-driven business growth across India.
With over 21 years of extensive experience in technology leadership, digital transformation, and enterprise innovation, Rahul brings a strong blend of strategic vision and execution expertise to the role. His return to Starbucks India marks an important milestone as the company continues to strengthen its digital ecosystem and enhance customer experiences through advanced technologies and seamless omnichannel capabilities.
A Strong Legacy with Starbucks India
Rahul shares a long-standing association with Starbucks India, having previously worked with the company from 2013 to 2018 as CIO and Head of Digital Innovation. During his earlier tenure, he played a significant role in building and strengthening the company’s technology and digital capabilities during a crucial phase of growth and expansion in the Indian market.
His contributions included driving digital transformation initiatives, enhancing customer engagement platforms, modernizing enterprise systems, and implementing innovative technology solutions aimed at improving operational efficiency and omnichannel experiences.
Extensive Experience Across Retail and F&B Technology
Over the years, Rahul has successfully led large-scale technology initiatives across the retail and food service sectors. His expertise includes the implementation of advanced POS systems, ERP platforms, mobile applications integrated with loyalty CRM ecosystems, and third-party delivery platforms designed to improve customer convenience and business agility.
He also brings strong capabilities in omnichannel transformation, enterprise applications, business analytics, infrastructure modernization, and data-driven decision-making through platforms such as Power BI. Known for aligning technology strategies with business objectives, Rahul has consistently delivered scalable innovation and operational excellence across organizations.
Prior to rejoining Starbucks India, Rahul spent three years in Singapore leading the regional IT function for Tim Hortons, where he spearheaded technology transformation initiatives across multiple markets.
Leading the Next Phase of Digital Growth
In his new role, Rahul will lead Starbucks India’s technology roadmap with a strong focus on AI-driven innovation, digital agility, seamless omnichannel experiences, infrastructure modernization, and customer-focused technology solutions.
As consumer expectations continue to evolve rapidly, technology is becoming central to delivering personalized experiences, operational efficiency, and connected customer journeys. Rahul’s leadership is expected to further strengthen Starbucks India’s digital capabilities while enabling scalable and future-ready technology frameworks across the business.
Expressing his excitement on rejoining the organization, Rahul Khona shared on LinkedIn, “I am thrilled to share that I have rejoined Starbucks India as Chief Technology Officer! After an incredible three years in Singapore leading regional IT function for Tim Hortons, returning to the Starbucks family feels like coming home. The retail and F&B landscape in India is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and I couldn't be more excited to lead our technology strategy during this next phase of growth. My focus will be on leveraging cutting-edge tech—from AI-driven automation to seamless omnichannel experiences—to further elevate the "Third Place" experience for our customers across India.”
Strengthening Technology Excellence
Rahul’s appointment comes at a time when the retail and F&B industry is witnessing rapid digital adoption driven by AI, automation, analytics, loyalty ecosystems, and connected customer experiences. Businesses are increasingly investing in intelligent technology platforms to improve customer engagement, operational efficiency, and long-term scalability.
With his deep expertise in digital transformation and enterprise technology leadership, Rahul is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the next phase of innovation and technology excellence at Starbucks India.
His return reflects the company’s continued focus on building a future-ready digital ecosystem that enhances customer experiences while supporting sustainable business growth across India.
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 WhatsApp Channel now! 👈📲
𝑭𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝑺𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑴𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂 𝑷𝒂𝒈𝒆𝐬 👉 Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram
