5 Indian Cities Emerging as GCC Powerhouses in 2025

Once celebrated as the ‘City of Pearls’, Hyderabad is now writing a new chapter as a thriving hub for GCCs in India to redefine its identity. Global business giants like Eli Lilly and McDonalds are all set to establish their global capability center in Hyderabad in 2025 with a planned capacity of 2000+ employees.

Fortune 500 companies like Amazon along other prominent brands Sandoz, Bayer, Roche, BlackBerry, and Align Technology also have their presence in Hyderabad to enhance strategic operations and become a key player in the global enterprise landscape. Below are 2 hubs of entrepreneurship and innovation that act as a catalyst for GCC growth:

• • T-Hub: Known as India’s biggest incubation center that helps startups launch and scale. It has also significantly driven governments, investors, and academia towards empowerment. 
  • WE- Hub: This is particularly built for women entrepreneurs providing technical, financial, and government support in a collaborative space to promote women-led businesses. 

Others are HITEC City, Financial District, and Genome Valley that are significantly helping brands to drive outstanding transformation and innovation. 

Altogether, GCCs in Hyderabad, especially the ones in the BFSI sector, leverage the above along with the city’s world class infrastructure, digital connectivity, thriving tech ecosystem, and a cosmopolitan culture. Companies are increasingly capitalizing on these to compete with their fellow market players. Studies have found that 49% of total transacted areas for offices in Hyderabad have come from GCCs alone. This influx of new spaces has given rise to a fresh wave of vacancies to increase employment.

Overall, along with the city’s rich historical significance, global capability centers are poised to become an integral part of Hyderabad’s legacy in the coming years.

Popularly called the ‘Silicon Valley of India’,  Bengaluru is the origin point of GCCs in India and continues to retain its dominance accordingly. Texas Instruments had set up its first global capability center in Bengaluru in 1985 and there has been no looking back since then. Reports say that 1 in every 3 new GCCs today are choosing this city for their offshore operations. In the past tech giants like JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Walmart, HSBC, and Tesco had set up their GCCs in Bengaluru contributing to the expanding ecosystem.

As of 2024, Bengaluru hosts 875 GCC units which puts it way ahead in the tech race. This number is driven by a flourishing IT corridors namely Electronic City, Outer Ring Road, and Manyata Tech Park which specially caters to GCCs. Other factors include exceptionally educated and skilled workforce especially software engineers, close start-uo collaborations, focus on cutting-edge technologies, and inclusive work culture.

Another reason why Bangalore continues to be in the forefront of GCCs is The Karnataka Global Capability Centers (GCCs) Policy 2024-2029. It aims to offer the following:

• • Infrastructure grants and investment subsidies. 
  • Ensuring green practices and safe AI development. 
  • Reimbursement of up to 50% for internship stipends. 
  • Streamlining administrative functions for GCC support. 
  • Tax reliefs on property taxes and rent. 
  •  Supporting CoEs to propel technological advancements.

Currently, Karnataka is home to 30% of India’s GCC. Further, with these above-mentioned policies creating a conducive business environment, the state aims to set up 500 new GCCs by 2029. Along with Bengaluru, other tier-II cities like Mysore and Mangalore will bolster their tech landscape to prepare for GCC development under the ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ policy.

Mumbai, popularly called ‘The Financial Capital of India’ is now a nerve center of global capability centers with great industry linkages and world-class infrastructure. The city hosts the maximum number of financial institutions like federal banks, central banks, and brokerage firms along with RBI, SEBI, BSE, NSE, and major banks. This makes it a ripe region for the BFSI sectors to set up their GCCs leveraging the financial services talent pool. Financial leaders like Barclays, Standard Chartered, and Citibank have well-set up GCCs in Mumbai focused on driving excellence in technology and digital transformation. 

Here’s a look at what is Mumbai’s USP that powers GCC growth:

• • Business Districts: Navi Mumbai, BKC, Malad, Powai, Lower Parel, and Nariman Point.
    
  • Talent Variation: Finance, data science, AI, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance.
    
  • IT Hubs: IT Parks like Mindspace, SEEPZ, Hiranandani Business Park, and Quantum Tower.
  • Infrastructure: Mumbai Port, international airports, and well-connected roadways. 

The city accommodates a significant portion of pharma GCCs as well and the number is at par with that of Bengaluru’s. The core reason is the vast pool of talent in the financial services sector that helps with regulatory affairs and data analysis which are highly critical to pharmaceutical, life sciences, and biotechnology services. 

Mumbai is also well-equipped to support GCCs from various other industries like retail, media, and logistics due to the presence of business connectivity, and strong legal, audit, and consulting ecosystem. Further, skilled workforce flowing in from prestigious institutions like IIT Bombay, JBIMS, and NMIMS create a business-friendly environment. Lastly, Mumbai’s strategic location in the west coast of India coupled with excellent corporate ecosystem and international connectivity is another key driver of GCC proliferation.

Delhi NCR is making significant strides in the GCC landscape and is emerging as a key contender in India’s GCC ecosystem. Studies have found that 15-18% of Indian GCCs are located in Noida and Gurgaon and this number is substantially on the rise. Top players in various industries like Uber, American Express, Airbnb, Nokia, Siemens, and United Airlines have successfully established their global captive centers here with a wide spectrum of services being conducted here. Owing to this, reports revealed that 30% of office market growth in NCR has been driven by GCCs alone.

What fuels the catalytic growth over the years are :

• • 35 startup unicorns
  • Strategic location
  • The Indian capital status
  • Presence of an extensive metro line
  • Several high-tech SEZs
  • Simple FDI norms, and 
  • Strong focus on talent development. 

It has been found that Australian clients typically prefer GCCs in NCR due to easier travel logistics. Additionally, several foreign MNCs are co-investing in upskilling talent to drive the growth forward. On another note, Bengaluru and Hyderabad are becoming overly congested which opens doors to setting up GCCs in the national capital region.

Global BFSI firms and professional services firms are particularly favouring the NCR due to its high-quality employment opportunities and cohesive government support in the form of tax incentives and easy labour laws. In a ripple effect, it has been seen that the real-estate market, especially the commercial property vertical, has been booming due to the demand for flexible workspaces ideal for accommodating future expansion.

Chennai, nicknamed the ‘Detroit of India’ is famous worldwide for Carnatic music, historic temples, and the beautiful Marina Beach. However, the city is now gaining popularity in the business world as the hotspot for global capability centers or GCCs in India. As of 2024, there are more than 300 GCCs in Chennai. The city has seen a rapid 25% growth in 2023-24 alone and continues to see a significant uptick. 

The top reasons are : 

• • Pro-business policies of Tamil Nadu like Startup and Innovation Policy 2025 
  • Highly favourable for R&D in electronics further strengthened with R&D policy 2025
  • Ranks 3rd in GCC leasing activities after Hyderabad and Bengaluru. 
  • Hub of engineering and product development with giants like TCS and Accenture. 
  • Cost efficient IT corridors like Guindy, Taramani, and OMR. 
  • Port city benefits can be leveraged by logistics-focused GCCs. 
  • Presence of grand tech parks like SIPCOT IT Park and Tidel Park. 

In 2024, British Swedish pharmaceutical AstraZeneca announced the expansion of its Chennai GCC making it the largest in the world. Other companies which have GCCs running in the city are Renault Nissan, Ford, Hitachi Energy, Pfizer, World Bank Group, Caterpillar, and Standard Chartered Bank. This is because such global enterprises generally look for innovation-driven and high-value operations which Chennai offers thus reinforcing its status as India’s key destination in the GCC landscape.

Global capability centers in India are expected to reach 2,400 by 2030 from the current 1800 which shows a structured growth approach and a steady development. Apart from these tier-I cities mentioned here, tier-II cities like Chandigarh, Indor, and Jaipur are also creating a significant noise in the GCC landscape backed by strong government reforms.

If you are a foreign MNC, mid-sector firm, or a start up, consider partnering with reputed GCC enablers like Inductus GCC. The team has the calibre to set up GCCs in India that could serve as an indispensable asset to your business. Be it for R&D, technology, or infrastructure, the expertise of our team can leverage the powerful factors of different cities to build an offshore unit that will help your business stay ahead of the curve in the global sphere.