New Delhi, Feb 14 : Primus Partners today released its latest thought-leadership report, “Second Tier, First Choice: A Readiness Assessment of India’s Emerging GCC Hubs,” underscoring the growing strategic importance of Tier-2 cities in shaping the next phase of India’s Global Capability Centre expansion. The study presents a data-driven assessment of 15 emerging hubs, evaluating their readiness across infrastructure, talent, policy support, technology ecosystems and livability parameters.
The report notes that while India hosts the world’s largest and most diverse GCC ecosystem with nearly 1,700–1,800 centres generating over USD 60 billion in economic value annually — activity remains heavily concentrated in Tier-1 metropolitan regions. Rising costs, infrastructure pressures, talent saturation and attrition in established hubs are prompting enterprises to explore diversified location strategies.
According to the analysis, Tier-2 cities are emerging as credible complementary nodes, offering competitive operating costs, expanding talent catchments, improving connectivity and stronger workforce stability. However, readiness levels remain heterogeneous. The report categorises cities into “Established Leaders,” “High-Potential Contenders,” “Emerging GCC Hubs,” and “Future Aspirants,” highlighting differentiated strengths and gaps across ecosystems.
Using a multi-dimensional readiness framework spanning 13 pillars and 43 sub-parameters, the report identifies key enablers influencing location decisions including airport connectivity, availability of Grade-A office infrastructure, fiscal support policies, digital and technology readiness, and quality of life indicators. It also outlines strategic imperatives such as scaling plug-and-play infrastructure, strengthening talent pipelines aligned to emerging mandates, enabling predictable regulatory environments, and enhancing urban mobility to accelerate GCC investments in non-metro cities.
Kanishk Maheshwari, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Primus Partners, said:
“India’s GCC story is entering a new phase where growth will be shaped by geographic diversification. Tier-2 cities possess deep and expanding talent pools alongside significantly higher workforce stability, enabling enterprises to build institutional capability and manage costs more predictably. Harnessing this distributed opportunity will be central to sustaining India’s leadership in global enterprise innovation.”
Nilaya Varma, Co-Founder and Group CEO, Primus Partners, added:
“India has evolved into the world’s leading hub for high-value GCC operations, but sustaining this trajectory requires moving beyond metropolitan concentration. This assessment provides an evidence-based view of where emerging cities stand today and what targeted interventions are required to unlock their full potential. It serves as a strategic guide for enterprises and policymakers seeking to shape the next chapter of India’s GCC ecosystem.”
The report positions Tier-2 expansion not as a substitution for established metros but as part of a distributed, resilient network that balances scale, cost efficiency and innovation potential. By providing structured insights into readiness and policy direction, Primus Partners aims to support investment decisions, policy planning and ecosystem development that advance inclusive and innovation-led economic growth.