A retailer does not have to open a shop in India to build an Indian team around the shopping experience. Costco’s Hyderabad technology operation illustrates that distinction: the work serves its worldwide business, not an announced Indian warehouse rollout.
The Breakdown
In a November 12 interview, chief information and digital officer Javier Polit said the Hyderabad hub has more than 70 employees and could grow to several hundred over five to six years. He sees scope beyond Hyderabad but gave no specific hiring target. He also described a Hyderabad-built geofencing tool intended to speed store check-in and checkout by identifying approaching customers.
These are management’s claims and expectations, not guaranteed jobs or confirmed new locations.
Costco India describes its role as technology, data and business operations for the global retail network. That is a broader remit than maintaining an online storefront.
Digital does not mean detached from the store
Costco’s own reporting defines digitally enabled sales by how a purchase begins, not simply where it ends. Sales initiated through a digital device can be fulfilled through a warehouse or distribution centre; the measure also includes Costco Travel.
Those sales represented 11% of total net sales in fiscal 2026, which ended on August 30. In the four-week retail month ending November 1, they grew 22.5% from a year earlier. Total net sales for that period rose 12.6% to $24.50 billion.
The figures describe different measures. The annual share is not a monthly growth rate, and the company-wide results do not establish how much Hyderabad contributed. They do show why separating a retailer into an entirely physical business and an entirely digital one can miss how customers actually transact.
Why This Matters
For Indian technology professionals, a global retail assignment can involve systems that connect a customer’s digital actions with store operations. A useful question about a role is therefore which business process the team owns, rather than whether the employer is labelled a retailer or a technology company.
For managers, the test is equally concrete: does a tool improve the journey reliably, and can its effect be measured separately from wider sales growth? Expanding an engineering team and demonstrating a customer benefit are different milestones.
The Crunch
Costco’s India story is about building technology for global retail. Watch the scope of work and evidence of delivery. Global sales growth alone cannot establish one centre’s contribution.
Related categories: Business & Brands; Technology & AI
Cover illustration is conceptual, not a depiction of Costco’s facilities or software.
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