Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Business | Technology | GCCs | India – India’s Global Capability Centre (GCC) ecosystem is expanding at a faster pace, with multinational companies establishing 111 new greenfield GCCs between January and August 2026. The latest count has already exceeded the 100 new centres reportedly established during the whole of 2025, according to research and advisory firm UnearthIQ.
The findings point to India’s growing importance as a destination for global technology, engineering, research, finance and innovation operations. Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pune emerged as the leading destinations for new centres, reflecting the country’s ability to attract investment across multiple business hubs.
The acceleration also highlights a shift in how multinational companies use India. Rather than relying exclusively on third-party service providers, more businesses are building in-house teams to develop technology, manage data, advance artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives and support global operations.
However, the expansion raises another important question: as India’s GCC network grows, will these centres evolve into strategic innovation hubs, or will some struggle to expand beyond their initial mandates?
GCCs in India 2026: Key Numbers at a Glance
The latest figures reported by UnearthIQ indicate that India’s GCC expansion remained strong during the first eight months of 2026.
Key findings include:
- 111 new GCCs: Greenfield centres established between January and August 2026.
- 100 new centres: The reported full-year total for 2025, already surpassed in 2026.
- 70,000–75,000 potential jobs: Estimated employment generation associated with the latest expansion wave.
- $2.5 billion–$2.8 billion: Estimated annual revenue and foreign-exchange inflows associated with the new centres.
- 2,117 existing GCCs: India’s reported total GCC ecosystem in FY2026.
- 2.36 million professionals: The workforce employed across the ecosystem.
- $98.4 billion in revenue: Reported GCC ecosystem revenue in FY2026.
The broader ecosystem figures come from the 2026 India GCC landscape research by NASSCOM and Zinnov, while the new-centre estimates have been attributed to UnearthIQ in media reports.
The figures suggest that India’s GCC story is no longer defined only by the size of its established centres. The pace at which companies are creating new operations has become another important indicator of the country’s attractiveness to global businesses.
Hyderabad Leads India’s New GCC Openings
Hyderabad attracted the highest number of new GCCs among the cities covered in the UnearthIQ report. Bengaluru and Pune followed, reinforcing the importance of India’s established technology and business-services corridors.
The reported city-wise breakdown for January to August 2026 is as follows:
| City | New GCCs |
|---|---|
| Hyderabad | 40 |
| Bengaluru | 30 |
| Pune | 18 |
| Chennai | 8 |
| Mumbai | 7 |
| Delhi-NCR | 4 |
| Total | 107 |
Data note: The six city figures supplied in the report add up to 107, rather than 111. The remaining four centres are not accounted for in this city-wise breakdown. The overall reported total is 111.
Why Is Hyderabad Attracting More New Centres?
Hyderabad’s 40 reported openings put it ahead of every other city in the latest expansion wave. Its appeal includes a strong technology talent pool, established office infrastructure and a business environment that has attracted investment from multinational companies.
The city has also benefited from efforts to position Telangana as a destination for global technology and innovation operations.
Bengaluru, meanwhile, remains India’s largest established GCC hub by overall centre count. Earlier industry research from Zinnov has estimated that the city hosts more than 880 GCCs, compared with approximately 355 in Hyderabad.
The distinction is important: Bengaluru continues to lead in the accumulated number of centres, while Hyderabad is leading the reported 2026 expansion.
Pune also recorded a strong showing, supported by its technology, engineering and manufacturing ecosystem. Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi-NCR continued to attract new operations, demonstrating that GCC growth is spread across several major business destinations.
For companies choosing where to establish a centre, the decision increasingly involves more than office costs. Access to specialised talent, infrastructure, proximity to customers and the ability to expand teams can all influence location strategy.
Which Companies Are Establishing GCCs in India?
The latest expansion includes businesses from technology, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services and other sectors.
According to UnearthIQ figures cited in media coverage, US-headquartered companies accounted for 65 of the 111 new centres—approximately 59% of the reported total. UK-based companies established another 11, while Germany, Japan and Israel were among the other countries represented.
Several company announcements illustrate the breadth of this activity.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines reportedly opened its first centre outside the United States on May 20, 2026. The company has outlined plans to hire approximately 1,000 technology professionals, highlighting the role India can play in supporting global technology operations.
Cohere Health
Digital health company Cohere Health announced a GCC in Hyderabad in February 2026, with a reported target team of around 350 employees.
ArcelorMittal
Steelmaker ArcelorMittal is reportedly planning to recruit approximately 2,000 professionals across Hyderabad and Pune, reflecting the growing relevance of Indian GCCs to industrial and engineering operations.
Other companies identified in coverage of the UnearthIQ report include DePuy Synthes, Truveta, Acumatica, Rockwell Automation, Syneos Health, Generac, Nestlé and Edwards Lifesciences.
The diversity of entrants demonstrates that GCC investment is not limited to technology companies. Businesses across healthcare, industrial manufacturing, life sciences and other sectors are also using India to support specialised global functions.
Which Industries Are Driving GCC Growth?
Hi-tech and engineering businesses accounted for the largest share of new GCC openings in the reported data.
The sector breakdown was:
- Hi-tech and engineering: 28 centres
- Manufacturing: 20 centres
- Professional services: 12 centres
- Banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI): 10 centres
- Healthcare and pharmaceuticals: 10 centres
Together, these figures account for 80 of the 111 reported openings. Other sectors made up the balance.
The distribution reflects the growing importance of technical expertise, product development, engineering capabilities and specialised business operations.
For multinational companies, an Indian GCC can provide teams that work directly with global product groups, research functions, technology leaders and business decision-makers. This makes the model relevant to companies looking to strengthen internal capabilities, rather than simply reduce operating costs.
Why Are Multinational Companies Expanding GCCs in India?
Several structural factors are contributing to the expansion of GCCs in India in 2026.
1. Artificial Intelligence Is Changing GCC Strategy
Companies are increasingly treating AI as a strategic business capability rather than a technology project operating in isolation.
An in-house centre can bring together data scientists, software engineers, product teams and business specialists to develop and deploy AI solutions. This structure may also help companies manage sensitive data, strengthen governance and coordinate technology development across business units.
As organisations scale their AI initiatives, GCCs can provide a dedicated base for experimentation, implementation and ongoing product development.
2. Access to Skilled Professionals
India offers a large workforce across software development, engineering, analytics, finance, cybersecurity and other specialised functions.
For multinational companies, this talent base can support both established business operations and newer requirements in cloud computing, data engineering and AI.
The availability of experienced professionals also gives companies the opportunity to build multidisciplinary teams within a single location.
3. Greater Control Over Core Capabilities
Some companies are reassessing how much of their technology and business operations should be managed by external vendors.
Establishing a GCC can give a company greater direct control over its talent, intellectual property, development priorities and operating processes.
This does not necessarily mean outsourcing will disappear. Instead, businesses may use a combination of external service providers and internal centres, depending on the function and its strategic importance.
4. India’s Established Business Infrastructure
India’s major technology hubs already have office infrastructure, professional services, technology ecosystems and experienced leadership teams that support global operations.
This established base can reduce some of the challenges involved in launching a new centre. Companies can draw on existing talent networks and local business ecosystems while building operations tailored to their needs.
From Cost Centres to Global Innovation Hubs
The latest expansion is part of a broader transformation in the role of GCCs.
Historically, many centres focused on functions such as transaction processing, technical support and other activities that could be delivered more efficiently from India.
Today, an increasing number are taking on product engineering, cybersecurity, AI development, research, analytics and global business decision-making.
NASSCOM and Zinnov research has highlighted the evolution of GCCs towards higher-value work and more substantial innovation mandates.
This transition matters because the long-term value of a centre depends on more than its employee count. A GCC that develops intellectual property, owns important technology platforms or influences global business strategy may contribute more to its parent company than a centre focused mainly on routine delivery.
For India, the opportunity is to attract centres that create deeper technical capabilities, develop future leaders and strengthen the country’s role in global product development.
For companies, the challenge is to give Indian teams meaningful responsibility, access to decision-makers and a clear mandate to deliver business outcomes.
The Warning Sign: Not Every GCC Is Growing
Despite the strong pace of new openings, the GCC sector also faces questions about the performance of existing centres.
A separate report published in July 2026 by UnearthIQ and advisory firm Embark, titled The Great Plateau, reportedly estimated that approximately 30% of GCCs established in India since 2020—around 140 to 150 centres—had plateaued in scale or mandate.
A plateau does not necessarily mean that a centre is failing. It may indicate that the operation has reached a stable size without expanding into higher-value work or taking on additional responsibilities.
However, the finding highlights a potential weakness in measuring the ecosystem solely by the number of centres established.
A centre created primarily to provide additional delivery capacity may face limits if its responsibilities remain narrowly defined. By contrast, a centre with a clear strategy for leadership development, product ownership, AI capability and business transformation may have more opportunities to expand its mandate.
The challenge for multinational companies is therefore twofold: establish new operations where they make strategic sense, while ensuring existing centres continue to evolve.
What the GCC Boom Means for Jobs and Investment
UnearthIQ’s reported estimates suggest that the 111 new centres could support approximately 70,000 to 75,000 jobs and generate $2.5 billion to $2.8 billion in annual revenue and foreign-exchange inflows.
These figures indicate the potential economic significance of the latest expansion wave, although actual outcomes will depend on hiring schedules, centre size, operating models and the pace at which the new operations become fully functional.
The employment opportunity also extends beyond direct recruitment. New centres can create demand for office space, professional services, training, technology infrastructure and local suppliers.
At the same time, the composition of these jobs will matter. Growth in advanced engineering, AI, data and product development could strengthen India’s position in higher-value work. The benefits will depend partly on whether education providers, employers and policymakers can ensure that the workforce develops the skills these roles require.
Competition among cities is also likely to intensify as state governments and local ecosystems seek to attract investment, talent and long-term business mandates.
What Comes Next for GCCs in India in 2026?
India’s 2026 GCC expansion points to continued interest from multinational companies seeking skilled talent, specialised technology capabilities and closer control over important business functions.
Hyderabad’s strong performance in new openings, Bengaluru’s established scale and Pune’s continued growth demonstrate that companies have several viable locations to consider. Other major cities also remain part of the national GCC landscape.
The next phase, however, will be measured by more than the number of new centres.
Investors, policymakers and business leaders will be watching whether new operations deliver sustainable employment, expand into higher-value responsibilities and contribute to global innovation. They will also be assessing whether established centres can move beyond routine delivery and take on broader mandates.
The key question for India’s GCC ecosystem is no longer simply how many centres the country can attract. It is how much strategic value those centres will create.
If the latest wave of investment translates into stronger AI capabilities, global product ownership and meaningful innovation, India could reinforce its position as one of the world’s most important destinations for multinational business operations.
Ruchi Kumar is the associate editor at Entrepreneur News Network and TVW News India, where she leads editorial strategy, brand storytelling, and startup ecosystem coverage. With a strong focus on innovation, business, and marketing insights, he curates impactful narratives that spotlight India’s evolving entrepreneurial landscape. She has written extensively on fintech, AI and emerging startups.