Global firms AI centres are reshaping Indian IT industry, but who has the top jobs?
4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: May 14, 2026 11:24 AM IST
Despite the rapid expansion of GCCs, policymakers believe that India still hosts relatively fewer global decision-making and senior leadership roles than it would like. (Magnific)India’s Global Capability Centre (GCC) ecosystem is undergoing rapid transformation, with multinational firms increasingly using their India centres not just for back-office operations but for AI development, engineering, research and global business functions. A recent report estimates India now hosts 2,117 GCCs employing 2.36 million professionals and generating nearly $98.4 billion in revenue in FY26. Global Capability Centres are offshore units set up by multinational corporations to handle strategic functions such as technology, engineering, operations, finance, research and product development for their global business. Initially established in India largely for cost arbitrage and back-office support, GCCs have steadily evolved into high-value hubs for innovation and engineering, driven by India’s large technology talent pool and digital ecosystem. Today, many GCCs are involved in AI development, cybersecurity, chip design, cloud engineering and enterprise transformation work for their parent companies worldwide.The report, prepared by IT industry lobby group Nasscom and consulting firm Zinnov, titled ‘The GCC Value Orbit’, says the sector has expanded by 32% over the last five years, with more than 500 new GCCs and 1,000 additional units set up during the period. However, despite the rapid expansion of Global Capability Centres, policymakers believe that India still hosts relatively fewer global decision-making and senior leadership roles than it would like. While engineering, operations and product mandates have grown sharply, strategic control and top-level corporate authority often continue to remain headquartered overseas. The report itself reflects this gap, noting that only 5% of GCCs have evolved into “transformation hubs” with CXO roles and functional sovereignty from India. Analysts say India’s next challenge will be moving beyond being a large execution and engineering base to becoming a location where multinational firms place more global business heads, AI leadership teams and enterprise-wide decision-making authority. From cost arbitrage to strategic ownership The report argues that India’s GCC story is no longer about low-cost outsourcing alone. Instead, global firms are increasingly assigning India centres ownership over products, AI systems, platforms and business outcomes. The report describes GCCs as evolving from “delivery engines” into “enterprise nerve centres”.
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