India’s commercial real estate is undergoing a transformation. Developers are no longer just landlords—they’re becoming full-service partners through the rising “GCC-as-a-Service” model.
Builders like Embassy and Bhartiya Group now offer bundled solutions beyond office space: regulatory guidance, tech infrastructure, hiring support, and operational management. It’s a plug-and-play approach for global firms to scale in India with ease.
“In addition to technical talent, they (GCC-as-a-service) provide non-tech services such as supply and vendor management. This flexible, cost-effective model enables companies to scale efficiently while focusing on core business outcomes,” — Arjun Aggarwal, Bhartiya Urban.
The cost model is adaptive too—real estate can be booked as opex or capex, while other services are charged monthly per employee.
“By owning infrastructure, having deep in-house consultant expertise, and offering a modular, pay-as-you-use service… we deliver scale-agnostic, execution-led support,” — Aravind Maiya, Embark.
This model—still in its early phase—is gaining traction among firms from the US, UK, Canada, and Austria, especially in tech, pharma, retail, and aviation. Previously led by consulting giants and IT majors, GCC growth is now expanding to mid-sized and emerging companies too.
Industry insiders say this new setup can cut costs by up to 30% compared to legacy outsourcing models, ideal for firms starting with 40–300 employees—or scaling up to 1,000–2,000.
“This surge is opening new avenues for real estate developers to create specialised infrastructure like flexible campuses and innovation hubs tailored to GCC needs,” — Ram Chandnani, real estate advisor.
Though large campuses still exist, 30% of leases are under 100,000 sq. ft, signaling strong interest from smaller setups. Meanwhile, average lease size has jumped by 40%, reflecting rising scalability needs.
Bengaluru and Hyderabad remain the top GCC magnets, accounting for 60% of leasing since 2021. In Q1 2024, GCCs occupied 45% of total office leasing, a 66% spike YoY. This share is expected to hover at 35–40% in 2025.
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