The success of India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs) depends on how well businesses follow the trends shaping this sector. Technology and infrastructure matter, but long-term success comes from the right insights and planning.
The India GCC report shows how global companies are changing the way they operate in India by focusing on capability building, digital growth, and strong teams.
This blog shares key points from the latest India GCC report, explaining what is driving GCC growth and how it affects businesses and talent.
Key Takeaways:
- GCCs are built for long-term capability, unlike outsourcing, which focuses on short-term or non-core tasks.
- The right model depends on factors such as control, cost, scalability, and data requirements.
- Many organisations now use hybrid setups that combine GCCs, outsourcing, and staffing models.
- India’s strong talent base, digital maturity, and policy support make it a leading destination for GCC growth.
- Workforce partners help businesses design the right hiring strategy and build future-ready teams.
Why It’s Important to Analyse GCC Growth Insights?
Analysing India’s GCC growth insights helps businesses, investors, and decision-makers understand how the sector is developing and where new opportunities are emerging.
These insights highlight key shifts in how companies build and manage their Global Capability Centres.
Here’s why they matter:
- Changing focus: GCCs in India are moving from cost-based operations to roles that focus on innovation, research, and digital transformation.
- Economic value: GCCs are creating jobs, supporting exports, and strengthening India’s position in the global business network.
- Growth enablers: Supportive government policies, strong digital infrastructure, and a skilled workforce are helping global companies expand faster in India.
For organisations, these insights help plan better. They guide decisions on where to set up centres, how to hire and retain the right talent, and how to work with partners like V3 Staffing to build efficient and future-ready teams.
As we analyse these insights, let’s look at the top findings that define the current and future direction of India’s GCC sector.
Top 7 Growth Insights from India’s GCC Report
India’s Global Capability centre (GCC) ecosystem continues to redefine the country’s role in global business transformation.
As enterprises move from outsourcing to building long-term strategic capabilities, GCCs have become vital to innovation, product development, and digital transformation.
According to the latest GCC report, India is home to over 1,700 GCCs employing more than 1.9 million professionals, contributing significantly to the nation’s economic and technological growth.
Below are the significant trends shaping India’s GCC growth and their implications for global enterprises.
1. Shift from Cost Arbitrage to Capability-Led Innovation
Historically, GCCs in India were set up for cost advantages. Today, that focus has shifted to capability-led innovation.
As highlighted in the Deloitte GCC report, Indian centres now act as strategic extensions of global headquarters, leading R&D, analytics, and product engineering initiatives. More than 50% of GCCs have grown into transformation or portfolio hubs.
Implications: India’s GCCs are moving beyond back-office operations to play a central role in global innovation and product excellence.
2. Sectoral and Geographic Diversification
The GCC Report 2025 reveals that India’s GCC presence now spans diverse sectors, including automotive, healthcare, retail, and manufacturing, beyond traditional IT and BFSI.
Approximately 94% of GCCs operate across six major hubs, such as Bengaluru (487 centres), Hyderabad (273 centres), Chennai (162 centres), Pune (178 centres), and Mumbai (207 centres). At the same time, Tier-II and Tier-III cities are emerging as cost-efficient, high-talent alternatives.
Implications: Broader sectoral spread and regional diversification are strengthening India’s GCC ecosystem, ensuring balanced national development.
3. Transformation into Global Centres of Excellence
India’s GCCs are rapidly growing into Global Centres of Excellence (CoEs), driving innovation, product design, and IP creation.
Research and Engineering GCCs (ER&D) are growing 1.3 times faster than the overall GCC sector, signaling a clear shift toward high-value, innovation-led functions.
Implications: The rise of CoEs reinforces India’s position as a key innovation partner in the global enterprise network.
Also Read: GCC Outsourcing vs Traditional Outsourcing Explained
4. Policy and Regulatory Enablers
Favourable government policies and simplified regulatory measures are fueling the expansion of GCCs across India. Initiatives such as IT park development, data privacy frameworks, and skill-building programs have created a robust support system for multinational firms.
Implications: These policies reduce compliance risks and make India one of the most business-friendly destinations for GCC companies to establish themselves.
5. Talent Magnet and Upskilling Engine
India’s talented workforce remains the driving force behind the country’s growth journey in the GCC. With over 18 million STEM graduates projected by 2027 and strong upskilling ecosystems powered by platforms, talent availability is expected to continue rising.
Implications: Continuous learning, exposure to innovation, and career mobility make India a global hub for GCC talent and leadership development.
6. Impact on India’s Economy and Value Chains
GCCs now contribute more than USD 64 billion in annual output and have become central to India’s export and innovation ecosystem. They support employment, local vendor networks, and R&D partnerships.
Implications: GCCs are strengthening India’s role across global value chains, transitioning from cost-saving units to strategic innovation engines.
7. Adoption of Advanced Technologies
From AI and ML to cloud computing and cybersecurity, Indian GCCs are rapidly scaling in next-generation technologies. More than 120,000 AI/ML professionals are already working across 185 CoEs nationwide.
Implications: This deep technological expertise positions India as a leader in building advanced enterprise capabilities for global corporations.
The latest India GCC report clearly shows that the country is no longer just a delivery base; it is a strategic innovation powerhouse. With talent availability, policy support, and digital maturity driving growth, India’s GCCs are shaping the future of global enterprise transformation.
Also Read: How GCC Works: A Strategic Guide for Indian Enterprises
This progress also brings new challenges and opportunities. Let’s see what lies ahead for India’s GCC growth journey.
Future Challenges and Strategic Opportunities for India’s GCC Growth
India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are entering a new growth phase where innovation, agility, and workforce capability define long-term success.
Here’s a closer look at the emerging challenges and practical strategies that leading GCCs are adopting to sustain growth and competitiveness.
1. Talent Competitiveness and Retention
With over 1.9 million professionals employed in GCCs across India, the demand for niche technology and digital skills continues to outpace supply. Attrition and wage inflation are rising concerns, particularly in Tier 1 cities.
Best Practice: Build structured talent pipelines through upskilling programs, leadership development, and career progression opportunities.
Partnering with V3 Staffing provides GCCs with domain-aligned hiring solutions, faster talent deployment, and long-term retention strategies across both tech and non-tech roles.
Also Read: The Benefits of Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) for Your Business
2. Infrastructure and Cost Optimisation
While India offers clear cost advantages, increasing operational expenses, real estate costs, and infrastructure gaps can affect scalability and budget predictability.
Best Practice: Adopt hybrid and distributed work models across Tier-II cities to reduce overheads and increase resilience. Develop long-term partnerships with local vendors for sustainable operational growth.
3. Regulatory Alignment and Policy Navigation
Different states have varying compliance frameworks, tax incentives, and labour laws, which can complicate large-scale GCC operations (e.g., GDPR or India’s DPDP Act).
Best Practice: Collaborate with experienced local advisors to ensure compliance and smooth expansion. Establish clear governance frameworks with defined ownership, KPIs, and audit mechanisms.
4. Innovation and Capability Transformation
Many GCCs are shifting from transaction-driven models to innovation-led delivery. The challenge lies in transitioning effectively without disrupting existing operations.
Best Practice: Establish innovation labs and cross-functional teams dedicated to automation, AI, and data analytics. Encourage global collaboration to bring higher-value projects to Indian centres.
5. Regional and Tier-II Expansion
Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune remain key hubs, but Tier-II cities like Coimbatore, Ahmedabad, and Bhubaneswar are emerging as viable alternatives. Balancing this expansion is essential for cost and talent resilience.
Best Practice: Use a hub-and-spoke approach where Tier-I cities serve as innovation anchors while Tier-II locations handle scalable delivery.
6. Partnership and Ecosystem Strengthening
Collaboration across government bodies, academia, and talent partners is essential to address evolving capability gaps and workforce readiness.
Best Practice: Build strategic alliances with recruitment and training partners to co-develop skill programs, improve time-to-hire, and strengthen local employability.
When approached strategically, these practices help GCCs in India transition into centres of excellence that drive innovation, operational excellence, and global competitiveness.
How V3 Staffing Drives Strategic GCC Growth in India?
India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are expanding rapidly, and talent plays a central role in sustaining this growth. As highlighted in the latest India GCC report, success depends on how effectively businesses build, manage, and scale their workforce.
At V3 Staffing, we specialise in powering GCC growth by helping enterprises set up and strengthen their centres with the right talent strategies. Our India-focused recruitment model supports capability building across technology, finance, analytics, and shared services.
Here’s how we contribute to GCC success:
- Permanent Recruitment: Hiring full-time professionals across core functions to strengthen your GCC foundation.
- IT Staffing: Delivering niche technical talent such as cloud engineers, data analysts, DevOps experts, and software architects.
- RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing): Managing end-to-end hiring within GCC operations to ensure timely and quality-driven recruitment.
- Contract/Temporary Staffing: Offering flexible workforce solutions for project-based or rapid scaling requirements.
- Executive Search: Identifying senior leadership talent for CXO, VP, and Director roles to guide your GCC’s long-term growth.
Our goal is to make GCC hiring simple and effective. With reliable recruitment, market knowledge, and a clear view of India’s growing talent pool, V3 Staffing helps companies turn GCC growth opportunities into long-term success.
Conclusion
India’s latest GCC report shows how the focus is shifting from cost savings to capability-led growth. With strong talent, technology, and innovation, India is becoming a global GCC powerhouse.
The next leap will depend on how companies hire, retain, and grow skilled teams. V3 Staffing helps GCCs build high-performing teams with speed and accuracy.
Ready to grow your GCC in India? Partner with V3 Staffing to hire smarter and scale faster. Contact us today to get started.
FAQs
Q. What insights does the latest India GCC report highlight?
A. The GCC report shows India’s strong growth with over 1,700 centres employing more than 1.9 million professionals. It also highlights India’s move toward innovation, technology-led services, and global leadership in capability development.
Q. How are GCCs evolving beyond cost-saving operations?
A. GCCs are shifting from basic support roles to innovation-driven centres. Many now focus on areas such as artificial intelligence, automation, product development, and research.
Q. Which sectors are driving GCC growth in India?
A. Technology, banking and finance, manufacturing, and healthcare are leading GCC growth. Sectors like retail, automotive, and energy are also expanding their presence in India.
Q. How do GCCs manage hiring challenges in competitive hubs?
A. GCCs speed up hiring by working with recruitment specialists, building a strong employer image, and using flexible staffing models to attract skilled professionals.
Q. What role do policies play in the growth of India’s GCC ecosystem?
A. Government policies, state-level incentives, and easier SEZ regulations have made India a top choice for global companies setting up or expanding GCCs.
