For over two decades, India has been a key player in global businesses’ offshore strategies. What started as a quest for cost savings has now evolved into a more strategic approach. Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India are no longer seen just as operational extensions; they are becoming important value centres that drive innovation, impact business strategies, and lead enterprise-wide changes.
In their early days, GCCs were mainly set up to take advantage of India’s lower costs. Their roles were straightforward and mostly transactional, focusing on back-office tasks, IT support, finance, and routine engineering work. Success was measured by efficiency, scale, and savings. Although this model provided clear financial benefits, GCCs were often on the outskirts of key business decisions.
The turning point arrived when global businesses faced greater demands to innovate quickly, respond to market changes, and embrace digital-first operations. At the same time, India’s talent landscape changed rapidly. The availability of skilled professionals in digital engineering, data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and product management allowed businesses to rethink what their India centres could do. Trust, built over years of effective delivery, encouraged headquarters to assign more strategic roles.
Today, India’s GCCs are recognized as creators of value. They lead global research and development efforts, develop next-generation digital platforms, and manage entire product lifecycles. Many GCCs act as Centres of Excellence with global responsibilities in areas like cloud transformation, advanced analytics, ESG solutions, and customer experience design. Value is now defined not just by cost reduction but also by generating revenue, creating intellectual property, speeding up market entry, and ensuring business resilience.
This change has required a shift in how organizations think. Empowered local leaders with global responsibilities lead modern GCCs. Performance metrics have shifted from measuring activities to focusing on outcomes that align with business goals. Integration with global business units is stronger, and collaboration is ongoing rather than transactional. As a result, GCCs are now shaping strategic priorities instead of just following them.
Mr. Alouk Kumar, the Inductus Group CEO quoted ““Global Capability Centres in India have decisively moved beyond their original role as cost engines. Today, they are strategic value creators—driving innovation, owning global mandates, and shaping enterprise-wide transformation. At Inductus Group, we see GCCs in India increasingly influencing core business strategy, not just executing it, making the country a critical nerve centre for global growth”
India’s emergence as the top choice for value-driven GCCs rests on its foundational strengths. The country provides a large and varied talent pool, a vibrant innovation and startup environment, and increasing support from state governments for GCC-friendly policies and infrastructure. India’s proven ability to manage complex and large-scale global operations strengthens its strategic role in business transformation efforts.
Looking ahead, the next stage of GCC evolution will be marked by operations centredaround AI, digital-native product management, and cross-border innovation strategies. As global businesses reconsider their operational models, India’s GCCs are poised to play a crucial role, not only in carrying out strategies but also in shaping them.
Ultimately, the narrative of GCCs in India is one of growth and trust. From being cost-driven entities focused on efficiency, they have transformed into value creators that drive innovation, leadership, and long-term global growth. For global businesses, India is no longer just a place where tasks are completed; it is where the future is being developed.