School of Business
Tata starbucks: How to brew a sustainable blend for India
Abstract
This case is primarily intended for use in the corporate strategy section of a business policy or
competitive strategy course. It can be used as an overview of the many decisions and actions that
an organization has to undertake to sustain a competitive advantage. This case can also be used
to augment discussions of strategic analysis, specifically both internal and external
environmental analysis and strategic formulation.
The case is rich enough for advanced and graduate students, and has been developed in a
manner that will allow students to diagnose the root(s) of the company’s issue(s) as detailed in
the case, and then form opinions and suggestions for any strategy that the company should
pursue. In doing this, students should consider the activities, history, and goals of the company
as presented.
It would be effective at the business strategy level, especially, to discuss the implications of
industry life cycles, and at the corporate strategy level to discuss implications of diversification.
The case also lends itself to discussions of strategic implementation and the effect of leadership
on innovation, especially when trying to maintain a mature brand.
