New Delhi [India], May 6 : The Global Capability Centre (GCC) ecosystem in India is projected to reach a market revenue of USD 98.4 billion by the end of fiscal year 2026 (FY26E).
This expansion reflects a significant structural shift as these centers move from being traditional delivery engines to becoming the central nerve centers for global enterprises.
According to the Nasscom - Zinnov report titled "GCC Value Orbit: From Delivery Engine to Enterprise Nerve Centre," the country now hosts 2117 GCCs operating across 3,728 units. This network supports approximately 2.36 million professionals, marking a 32 per cent growth in the number of centers since fiscal year 2021.
The report noted that roughly 506 of the Forbes Global 2000 companies currently maintain operations in India. A primary driver of this growth is the deep integration of artificial intelligence across products and infrastructure.
Nearly half of the GCCs established since 2021 focused on AI from their inception. Currently, more than 1,200 centers in India embed AI and machine learning capabilities, supported by a specialized talent base of 250,000 professionals and 250 dedicated Centres of Excellence.
Rajesh Nambiar, President, Nasscom, said, "India's GCC ecosystem is undergoing a fundamental reset. The shift from scale to value is now well underway, with AI acting as the catalyst. GCCs are increasingly taking ownership of global products, platforms, and business outcomes, positioning India as a strategic nerve centre for enterprises worldwide. The next phase of growth will be defined by how effectively these centres can drive enterprise-wide transformation and deliver measurable impact."
The maturity of these centers is also evolving. The report stated that nearly 50 per cent of GCCs now operate at a high maturity stage. This transition is happening faster than in previous years, with 96 per cent of centers established after 2021 launching with specific product or portfolio mandates.
Leadership models mirrored this change, as 64 per cent of site leaders now hold dual mandates that combine global functional ownership with responsibilities in cybersecurity and AI governance.
"The India advantage today is unmistakable -- one of the largest and fastest-growing pools of AI and digital talent in the world. That advantage is now translating into something far more structural. GCCs are increasingly moving beyond execution to take ownership of products, platforms, and AI-led transformation, and three quarters will operate at high maturity by 2030. The opportunity is to build on this by investing in frontier capabilities and deepening the ties between talent, academia, and industry. The centers that get this right will not simply benefit from India's rise. They will be the reason for it," said Pari Natarajan, CEO, Zinnov.
Workforce strategies prioritize reskilling as organizations emphasize AI-led productivity over linear headcount growth. While hiring continues at a moderate pace, the demand for AI-centric skills increased by 1.5 percentage points in the last six months.
Furthermore, over 90 per cent of leading centers now collaborate with universities for research and talent, while half work with startups on technical pilots. The report suggested that 75 per cent of India's GCCs possess the potential to become full transformation hubs within the next five years.