Starbucks Corp will open its first coffee shop in India by the end of October, John Culver, President, China and Asia Pacific, said on Friday, in the latest delay to a much-hampered entry into the country.

Starbucks had initially planned to have its first cafes in India open by mid-2011 but was delayed by difficulties in acquiring real estate and high land costs. It said in January it would have stores open by August or September.

(Reporting by Aditi Shah; Editing by Jijo Jacob)