Brands
Rahul Khona returns to Starbucks India as chief technology officer
Ex-Tim Hortons CIO rejoins coffee chain to lead AI and digital growth
MUMBAI: Rahul Khona has returned to Starbucks India as chief technology officer, marking what he described as a “full circle” moment after spending the past three years leading regional technology operations for Tim Hortons in Southeast Asia.
Khona announced the move through a LinkedIn post, saying he was excited to rejoin the Starbucks family at a time when India’s retail and food-and-beverage landscape is evolving rapidly.
At Starbucks India, he will lead the company’s digital and technology strategy, with a focus on enterprise transformation, AI integration, and enhancing omnichannel customer experiences. In his post, Khona said his priorities include leveraging AI-driven automation and seamless digital experiences to strengthen the brand’s “Third Place” positioning in India.
Before rejoining Starbucks, Khona served as director of technology and CIO for Tim Hortons’ operations across Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. During his stint, he led large-scale digital rollouts including POS systems, ERP migration, loyalty-enabled mobile apps, kiosk ordering, and AI-powered customer service automation.
His earlier leadership roles include serving as CIO at McDonald’s India, CTO at Nexus Malls, and IT head at Reliance Brands.
Khona has also completed executive programmes in digital transformation and innovation leadership from Indian School of Business and Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.
His return comes as Starbucks India continues expanding its digital ecosystem and customer engagement capabilities in an increasingly competitive café market.
