BENGALURU: India's global capability centre (GCC) juggernaut continues to gather momentum, with over 100 new GCCs added in FY26, bringing the total to 2,117 centres. According to the latest Nasscom-Zinnov report, these hubs employ more than 2.3 million professionals and generate revenues nearing $100 billion.
Steady Growth Over Five Years
Over a five-year period, the expansion has been steady and broad-based. The number of GCCs in India has grown from 1,600 in FY21 to an estimated 2,117 in FY26, marking an increase of around 32%. Over the same period, revenues rose from $61.4 billion to $98.4 billion, a growth of about 60%. The workforce also expanded from 1.7 million to 2.3 million employees, an increase of about 35%. Additionally, Nasscom's earlier projections from the 2024 GCC landscape report pegged the FY24 base at over 1,700 GCCs; this has now been revised upward to 1,855 GCCs, indicating stronger-than-expected growth.
India as an AI Powerhouse
India is also emerging as a global AI powerhouse, backed by a talent base of over 250,000 AI professionals and more than 1,200 centres of excellence, strengthening its leadership in enterprise AI. At the same time, the GCC ecosystem is moving up the value chain. Around 46% of centres now operate as portfolio or transformation hubs, up from 42% in FY21. Notably, 27% of new GCCs reach this stage within five years, compared to nearly a decade earlier. Leadership roles are also evolving, with 64% of site heads holding dual mandates, combining global business ownership with local centre leadership. The report estimates that nearly 75% of GCCs could evolve into portfolio or transformation hubs by FY30, reflecting a shift towards end-to-end ownership, IP creation, and AI-native operations.
Shift from Scale to Value
The Nasscom-Zinnov report also notes that the maturity scorecard has been rewritten: GCCs are increasingly measured on outcomes delivered rather than processes owned. Nasscom president Rajesh Nambiar 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." The report said that hiring is being recalibrated through internal redeployment and AI-powered capability building.
