India's GCC Base Surpasses 2,100, Experiencing 32% Five-Year Growth Driven by AI Initiatives

India's Global Capability Centre Ecosystem Experiences Significant Growth

India's Global Capability Centre (GCC) ecosystem has experienced significant growth between FY21 and FY26, with the number of centres increasing by 32 percent to reach 2,117 across 3,728 units. The ecosystem now employs around 2.36 million professionals, according to a joint report by Nasscom and Zinnov.

The total market size of the ecosystem stands at $98.4 billion. The number of companies operating GCCs in the country has also grown, with about 506 companies from the Forbes Global 2000 now operating GCCs in India. This growth indicates a shift towards ownership of core business functions, with around 96 percent of GCCs established after FY21 launching with product or portfolio mandates.

Leadership mandates within the ecosystem are also evolving, with around 64 percent of India GCC heads now holding dual roles that combine global functional responsibilities with site leadership. This move towards value creation is being driven by the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is now deeply embedded across products, platforms, and internal operations within GCCs.

Read also: Treasury Yields Experience Largest Increase in Two Weeks Following Release of Labor Market Data

AI Adoption Drives GCC Evolution

AI-led pivot is no longer experimental within GCCs, with nearly half of all GCCs set up since FY21 being built with AI at their core. Over 1,200 centres now have integrated AI and machine learning capabilities, supported by more than 250 AI-focused centres of excellence and a talent pool of around 250,000 professionals. The focus has shifted towards governance and scaling AI economically, rather than just deployment.

Hiring Trends

Hiring across GCCs is expected to remain resilient but moderate, as companies prioritize productivity gains and redeployment over linear headcount growth. Demand for AI-related skills continues to rise, with AI talent demand increasing by 1.5 percentage points in the past six months alone.

Read also: US-Iran Tensions Spark Uptick in Oil Prices Amid Global Market Decline

The India advantage in AI and digital talent is now translating into structural opportunities, according to Pari Natarajan, CEO, Zinnov. "The opportunity is to build on this by investing in frontier capabilities and deepening the ties between talent, academia, and industry."