The Nero Group has announced a partnership with Trent Limited, the retail and lifestyle arm of Tata Group, to bring the Caffè Nero coffee house brand to India, with a first location planned for Mumbai, according to Hospitality & Catering News (2 November 2026).
The Nero Group, the British coffee operator behind Caffè Nero, said the agreement gives it an entry point into one of the world’s largest consumer markets through an established Indian retailer. Trent runs a portfolio of retail formats within Tata Group, and that existing network is the route the coffee brand will use to build a presence.
The announcement describes the arrangement as a strategic partnership. It does not set out the commercial structure, so whether the deal operates as a franchise, a licence or a joint venture is not confirmed in the coverage reviewed.
The first location will serve the group’s Classico espresso blend together with a food offer that includes locally inspired products. Additional openings are planned alongside Trent’s retail formats in the coming months, but the opening date and the number of further stores have not been confirmed.
“I’m delighted to be opening our first store in India.”
Gerry Ford, Founder and Group CEO of The Nero Group, made the comment and added that Trent shares the group’s vision for premium, speciality coffee.
The Nero Group reported record sales of £670 million for the financial year ending 31 May 2026, an 8% increase on the prior year, with like-for-like sales up 4.1%. It operates more than 1,200 coffee houses internationally and employs about 12,000 people.
The portfolio includes Caffè Nero, Coffee#1, 200 Degrees Coffee and FCB Coffee, the last two acquired in 2024. In the United States the group bought 16 Compass Coffee stores and a coffee roastery in Washington DC.
Specialty coffee keeps drawing international brands into India, and the Caffè Nero route follows a pattern visible elsewhere in the market: a foreign brand pairs with a domestic retail group that already controls sites and supply chains. VF has tracked similar entries, including ACR Coffee Roasters in Kuwait and MENA, Bachmann through CK Israni Group and Harlem Shake with its 75-unit India agreement.
For master-franchise investors in Asia Pacific and MENA, the open questions are the ones the announcement leaves unanswered: the contract structure, the store count and the pace of rollout. Those details will decide whether Mumbai is a single flagship or the start of a national network. Operators assessing coffee concepts in the region can compare formats in EBG Group’s Tarzan Jungle Cafe plan for India.
