Tata Starbucks has issued an official clarification following a wave of viral social media posts claiming that the company had appointed Dolly Chaiwala as its brand ambassador.
In a public statement, the coffee chain confirmed that it has no official brand ambassadors in India, and specifically denied any collaboration with Sunil Patel, popularly known as Dolly Chaiwala. Patel, a tea seller from Nagpur, rose to internet fame for his theatrical tea-making style and recently gained further attention after a video of him serving tea to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates went viral. His growing popularity was bolstered by a recent appearance on the reality show Bigg Boss 18.
The confusion appears to have stemmed from a meme and edited promotional-style visuals circulated by third-party content creators, which many viewers mistook as an official campaign. The company clarified that the content was neither commissioned nor endorsed by Tata Starbucks.
“We have noted recent social media posts suggesting that TATA Starbucks has appointed an official brand ambassador,” the company said in a statement shared on LinkedIn. “We would like to clarify that TATA Starbucks does not have any official brand ambassadors in India. Specifically, we have not entered into any collaboration with Dolly Chaiwala.” The company emphasised its commitment to transparent and accurate communication, adding, “Tata Starbucks is committed to communicating with accuracy and authenticity, and we value the trust of our customers and communities.”
The clarification comes amid a deluge of viral memes and influencer posts that humorously portrayed Chaiwala as the new face of the global coffee brand, a claim now firmly debunked by the company.