Starbucks aims to hasten its India expansion with smaller stores and drive-through outlets, the CEO of its local partner said on Monday, signalling the American coffee chain's bullish plans as the COVID-19 slowdown abates in the country. Launched in India in 2012, Tata Starbucks - a joint venture between Starbucks and India's Tata Consumer Products - operates 233 outlets across 19 Indian cities. Both the partners "are driving Tata Starbucks to be far more aggressive in store openings, new formats, and in entering new cities," Sunil D'Souza, CEO of Tata Consumer Products, said in an interview on Monday. "All we've got to figure out is how quickly we can scale," said D'Souza. "We have got a window of opportunity because the competition is on the back foot."