New Delhi

India’s rapidly expanding Global Capability Centre (GCC) landscape is expected to generate nearly USD 98.4 billion in market revenue by the end of fiscal year 2026, underlining the country’s growing importance in global enterprise operations.

According to the NASSCOM–Zinnov report titled “GCC Value Orbit: From Delivery Engine to Enterprise Nerve Centre,” India currently hosts 2,117 GCCs functioning through 3,728 operational units across the country.

These centres collectively employ around 2.36 million professionals, reflecting a 32 per cent increase in the number of GCCs compared with fiscal year 2021.

The study highlighted that nearly 506 companies from the Forbes Global 2000 maintain a presence in India, demonstrating the country’s growing strategic relevance for multinational corporations.

A major factor behind this transformation has been the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence across business functions, products, and digital infrastructure. Nearly half of all GCCs launched since 2021 were built with AI capabilities embedded from inception.

At present, more than 1,200 centres in India are actively working in artificial intelligence and machine learning, supported by a specialised workforce of nearly 250,000 professionals and over 250 dedicated Centres of Excellence.

Rajesh Nambiar said India’s GCC ecosystem is witnessing a fundamental transformation, shifting focus from operational scale to value creation, with AI emerging as a key growth catalyst.

He noted that these centres are increasingly taking ownership of global products, digital platforms, and core business outcomes, strengthening India’s position as a strategic command centre for enterprises worldwide.

The report also pointed to rising operational maturity across the ecosystem, with nearly half of all GCCs now classified as operating at advanced maturity levels.

Among centres established after 2021, as many as 96 per cent were launched with clearly defined product, platform, or portfolio responsibilities from the outset, signalling a sharp departure from traditional support-driven models.

Leadership structures are evolving as well. Around 64 per cent of GCC site leaders now manage dual responsibilities, combining global functional leadership with critical roles in areas such as cybersecurity and AI governance.

Pari Natarajan said India’s strength lies in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing pools of digital and AI talent, which is now driving a deeper structural shift in enterprise operations.

He projected that nearly three-fourths of India’s GCCs could reach high maturity levels by 2030, provided organisations continue investing in next-generation capabilities while strengthening collaboration between academia, industry, and talent ecosystems.

The report further noted that workforce strategies are increasingly centred on upskilling and reskilling, as companies prioritise AI-led productivity improvements rather than linear headcount expansion.

Although hiring remains steady, demand for AI-focused skills has risen by 1.5 percentage points over the past six months.

Collaboration is also expanding beyond corporate boundaries. More than 90 per cent of leading GCCs now partner with universities for research and talent development, while nearly half are actively engaging with startups for innovation pilots and technology experimentation.

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The study estimates that nearly 75 per cent of India’s GCCs have the potential to evolve into full-scale enterprise transformation hubs over the next five years.