Starbucks Denies Appointing Dolly Chaiwala as Brand Ambassador After Viral Meme

Dolly Chaiwala runs a tea stall in Nagpur. There were rumors that Dolly is appointed as the brand ambassador of TATA Starbucks. In an official statement, Starbucks clarified that Dolly Chaiwala has not been appointed as the brand ambassador, and it also stated that there was no collaboration between Starbucks and Dolly. A meme portraying Dolly Chaiwala as the brand ambassador of the coffee-selling company went viral on social media. After that, rumors of him being appointed as the brand ambassador were spreading like wildfire. The fake poster made people think that this was happening, and the brand and Dolly are collaborating. The original source of the poster is unclear, but you can take a look at it here:

Dolly Chaiwala became the brand ambassador of Starbucks India pic.twitter.com/YjN3G2wNWW

— Dixit Dave (@dixit_dave_) April 1, 2025

Dolly Chaiwala runs a tea stall in Nagpur, and he went viral for his special chai-making skills on social media. Last year, former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates also met Dolly Chaiwala and had a cup of tea with him when he visited India.

In a LinkedIn post, TATA Starbucks India clarifies that there is no official brand ambassador, saying, “We have noted recent social media posts suggesting that TATA Starbucks has appointed an official brand ambassador. We would like to clarify that TATA Starbucks does not have any official brand ambassadors in India.” In the official statement, it further dismissed the rumors about collaboration with Dolly Chaiwala and said, “Specifically, we have not entered any collaboration with Dolly Chaiwala. A meme, created independently by a third party, appears to have been misconstrued as a formal campaign. TATA Starbucks is committed to communicating with accuracy and authenticity and we value the trust of our customers and communities.”

Also Read: Sonu Sood: Few roles gave me chance to explore my physical prowess, emotional side at same time

The first Starbucks store was opened in India in October 2012. It was opened through a joint venture with Tata Consumer Products. The first Starbucks cafe was opened in Mumbai, and now it has more than 400 branches across India.