Embark and Tavant have entered into a strategic partnership to help global enterprises establish, operate and transform Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India, with a focus on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and data capabilities from the outset.
Announced on 9 October, the collaboration brings together Embark’s expertise in GCC strategy, entity setup, workplace planning, talent and operations with Tavant’s capabilities in generative AI (GenAI), agentic AI, software engineering, data and enterprise platforms. The companies aim to provide an integrated model for enterprises looking to establish new centres or expand the role of existing ones.
The partnership comes as India’s GCC ecosystem evolves beyond its traditional focus on cost efficiency and operational support towards product engineering, research and development, digital transformation and AI-led innovation.
AI capabilities to be integrated from the outset
Under the arrangement, companies setting up new GCCs will be able to access services spanning strategy, location selection, legal entity establishment, workspace, talent and operational support alongside AI readiness, data capabilities and technology engineering teams.
The objective is to allow enterprises to develop technology capabilities while the operational foundations of their centres are being established, rather than treating AI adoption as a subsequent phase.
The partnership will offer multiple engagement models, including Assisted Build, Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and Employer of Record (EOR), allowing businesses to select arrangements based on their expansion plans and desired level of ownership.
For existing GCCs, the collaboration will focus on diagnostic assessments, Data and AI Centres of Excellence and embedded technology teams. The companies intend to help enterprises move from project-based delivery towards end-to-end product ownership, while taking AI initiatives beyond pilot projects and into production environments.
“AI is becoming a foundational capability for the next generation of GCCs, and we believe it needs to be considered from the very beginning of the GCC journey,” said Aravind Maiya, Co-Founder and CEO of Embark.
Sarvesh Mahesh, CEO of Tavant, said the partnership would enable technology teams to begin building AI and data capabilities while the operational infrastructure is developed in parallel. He highlighted the importance of creating centres that build products and take AI initiatives from experimentation to deployment.
India’s GCC model shifts towards strategic ownership
The partnership reflects a broader change in how multinational companies view their India operations. GCCs are increasingly expected to contribute to global product development, technology strategy and business transformation, rather than operate primarily as offshore delivery centres.
According to a strategic alliance announcement by Deloitte India and Embark in August 2025, India’s GCC ecosystem was already expanding beyond traditional support functions towards AI, engineering and research and development capabilities. The shift has increased the importance of operating models that connect local teams with global business priorities.
More recently, the ecosystem has faced a different challenge: translating expansion into measurable enterprise value. A July 2026 report by UnearthIQ and Embark estimated that approximately 500–520 GCCs in India had reached a growth plateau, citing factors including limited leadership autonomy, fragmented data systems and insufficient investment in AI and innovation.
These developments underline why establishing a GCC is increasingly only the first step. Enterprises must also determine which products and capabilities their centres will own, how technology investments will support business outcomes and whether local teams have the authority to influence global decisions.
For new entrants, integrating AI and data capabilities into the initial design could help align technology investments with longer-term objectives. For established centres, the challenge will be to upgrade existing operating models and demonstrate value beyond delivery efficiency.
From setting up centres to building capabilities
For Embark, the partnership extends its integrated GCC offering by adding technology and AI execution capabilities to its operational and infrastructure expertise. Tavant, meanwhile, brings its experience in enterprise engineering and AI-led transformation to organisations looking to establish or expand their India presence.
The commercial impact of the partnership will depend on how effectively enterprises translate these combined capabilities into deployed AI solutions, product ownership and measurable business outcomes.
As India continues to attract global technology and innovation mandates, partnerships such as this point to the next phase of the GCC market: not simply building teams in India, but creating centres equipped to develop, operate and scale capabilities that are central to global enterprise strategy.
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