India’s GCCs: From Offshore Support to Strategy

The global capability center (GCC) in India has come a long way—from optical distribution centers to becoming powerful centers of digital changes, innovation, and enterprise strategy. According to NASSCOM India will have over 1,900 active GCCs, which will contribute a revenue of $64.6 billion. Major global companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, JP Morgan, and Target have made their GCC notable expansion in India and have turned them into strategic commercial engines from operational aid centers.

India’s rise as the GCC Strategy Centre is powered by three major pillars:

Great talent availability (more than 14 lakh stem graduates per year)
Cost benefits (70% savings compared to onshore places)
Favourable GCC policy reforms, Sez incentives and strong digital infrastructure

As businesses are facing new demands like AI, customer personalisation, and stability mandates, the GCC of India is now at the center of boardroom decisions. Let’s understand how they can make this jump.

Once Just the Help Desk (2000-2010)

In the early 2000s, the GCC in India mainly served as an offshore delivery center (ODC). They used to do regular IT, finance, and human resources functions under the stringent SLA. Their role was limited to backend efficiency, not enterprise changes.

As of 2010, there were more than 750 GCCs in India, most of which were seen as supporting teams, which were different from corporate decision-making. They were not part of development or innovation discussions.

Shifting from Innovation to Efficiency

The story began to change during the wave of adoption of the cloud, and the epidemic intensified it. Companies began to depend on their India-based GCC for data science, customer insight, product experiments, and even cyber security.

By 2023:

More than 65 new GCCs were established in India.
The number of GCC employees crossed 19 lakh professionals.
About 40% of Fortune 500 companies are now dependent on their India-based GCC for their major digital initiatives.

GCC Role Table:

Function	Traditional GCC (2010)	Modern GCC in India (2025)
IT Operations	Ticket Handling	AI Ops Architecture
Finance	Invoice Processing	Treasury & Forecasting
HR	Payroll & Admin	Workforce Analytics
Product Dev.	Code Execution	Co-Design & Customer Insights
CX Support	Helpdesk Services	Omnichannel Experience Design

Cost Centre to Capability Centre

GCC now actively includes the following:

Design global OKRs.
Co-ownership of product roadmap
Running an enterprise-wide change programme

According to a 2024 report, India will host more than 2,400 GCCs by 2030, which will generate more than $100 billion. Many global CXOs now see their Indian GCC not only as an ODC, but as an important expansion of the headquarters.

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India’s value proposal is no longer just the cost; it is capacity, continuity, and co-construction.

Boardroom Effect (GCC on CEO's Table)

Modern GCC now in India:

Impress C-level decisions.
Manage global pilots and PoCs.
Powerful ESG reporting and compliance structure

This strategic advancement is possible due to the following reasons:

Spontaneous integration with headquarters functions
India’s mature startup cooperation ecosystem
Skilled leaders

India’s GCC ecosystem is no longer just the only distribution support model. It is a value creation model.

Strategy to Sovereignty

The future of GCC in India lies not only in functional distribution but also in commercial ownership. We believe that GCC will play a leading role in the following sectors:

AI policy and moral rule
Digital sovereignty for global data flow
Climate technology experiment and eSG co-design
Border innovation laboratories

Policies and new GCC-specific SEZ reforms like India’s DPI (Digital Public Infrastructure) establish it as the best geographical area to prepare your enterprise for the future.

Conclusion

In less than two decades, the GCC in India has redefined its role: from IT engine to strategic business competence. Their development reflects India’s rise in the global digital economy.

With the right strategy, leadership, and advisory assistance, your GCC can become the command center of not only a back-end office but also a global development. Changes from ODC to the Orchestration Centre are not only possible, but they are already happening.

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As Inductus GCC as a leading GCC enabler and strategy partner in India, provides the following assistance to global enterprises:

Establishing a GCC or offshore development center ready for the future
To take advantage of India’s policy ecosystem, talent pool, and digital capabilities

frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How is GCC different from the Offshore Development Centre (ODC)?

An ODC is usually focused on software development and distribution, while GCC handles extensive business capabilities, including strategy, customer experience, product design, and digital innovation.

Why are so many companies in India installing GCC?

India offers cost efficiency (savings up to 70%), world-class digital talent, a strong startup ecosystem, and a unique mix of favourable government policies. These factors make India a global leader in the GCC setup.

How have GCCs developed over time?

Initially seen as back-end support or cost centers, today’s GCC enterprise strategy includes AI governance, product innovation, and customer experience management. Now they are boardroom-level assets.

What are the heaviest industries in the GCC?

GCC has a wide range of applications in banking and financing services, retailing, healthcare, telecommunications, and manufacturing and technology sectors. The dominant front in scale and innovation maturity is the BFSI and technical sectors.

What is the role of Indian policy in the development of GCC?

The Government of India supports the expansion of GCC through Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Special Economic Sector (SEZ) reforms, favourable taxation, and business-facilitating policies, making it attractive to long-term strategic investments.

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Aditi

Aditi, with a strong background in forensic science and biotechnology, brings an innovative scientific perspective to her work. Her expertise spans research, analytics, and strategic advisory in consulting and GCC environments. She has published numerous research papers and articles. A versatile writer in both technical and creative domains, Aditi excels at translating complex subjects into compelling insights. Which she aligns seamlessly with consulting, advisory domain, and GCC operations. Her ability to bridge science, business, and storytelling positions her as a strategic thinker who can drive data-informed decision-making.