Starbucks guilty of overcharging customers by Rs 1.04 cr: Monitoring agency

Did not pass on the benefit of reduced GST rates to consumers to the tune of Rs 1.04 crore and escaped penalty

India’s profiteering watchdog has found Tata Starbucks guilty of not passing on the benefit of reduced goods and services tax (GST) rates to consumers to the tune of Rs 1.04 crore, and escaping penalty. The national anti-profiteering authority (NAA) has ordered the coffee chain to deposit the profiteered amount in the consumer welfare fund, along with 18 per cent interest within three months.
 
Tata Starbucks, a 50:50 joint venture between the Tatas and the global coffee chain, had hiked the base price of a specific coffee product after the GST Council cut tax rates on restaurant services from 18