A structural change is reshaping how multinational companies allocate their R&D budgets. India global capability centres have moved far beyond their earlier role as cost efficient support units and are now driving innovation and strategic decision making. India currently hosts more than 1700 GCCs employing nearly 1.9 million professionals and generating over 64 billion dollars in annual revenue for parent organisations. Nearly 50% of these centres manage end to end product delivery, while about 30% have become global hubs for AI and analytics.
As enterprises focus on digital transformation and risk management, GCCs in India have emerged as core engines of engineering excellence, AI led productivity and full business ownership. Hyderabad, recognised as India’s fastest growing GCC hub, is playing a central role in shaping new operating models and talent structures. Analysts estimate the Indian GCC market will grow at a CAGR of over 11% through 2029 and may exceed 2400 centres by 2030, with the sector’s economic footprint approaching 100 billion dollars. This growth is driven by strong talent depth, engineering maturity, ecosystem readiness and rising global trust in India ability to handle complex work at scale.
The shift from execution to ownership is visible across automotive, retail, life sciences, financial services and enterprise technology. India based teams now lead research, design, development, testing and deployment for global platforms, AI driven systems and cloud native solutions. According to the ANSR 2025 AI Talent Trends report, GCCs in India employ more than 126000 professionals in AI aligned roles, including over 18000 in core AI areas such as machine learning, generative AI, LLM operations and data science. These roles account for more than 22.5% of national AI demand, with talent concentration 2.5 times the global average. Demand for generative AI skills is also rising at around 32% annually.
Indian GCCs are also accelerating product cycles by operating as integrated teams with engineers and product leaders working close to decision making. Exposure to dynamic markets such as mobility, ecommerce and digital payments helps build resilient global products. Strong collaboration between industry, universities and startups in cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune further strengthens this ecosystem. With continued focus on digital infrastructure and skill development, global enterprises are anchoring long term AI, platform modernisation and transformation strategies in India, reinforcing the country’s position as a strategic R&D powerhouse.
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