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Indian GCCs are shifting from cost centers toward high-value AI innovation and transformation.
Over 120,000 AI/ML professionals support more than 185 dedicated AI/ML CoEs.
GCCs increasingly build AI platforms, products, data systems and technology capabilities globally.
India’s Global Capability Centers (GCCs) are undergoing a significant transformation, moving beyond their traditional role as cost and execution hubs to become centers for artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, product development, and enterprise transformation.
The shift is being driven by investments in AI and machine learning, a growing technology talent pool, dedicated Centers of Excellence (CoEs), and greater ownership of global products and platforms by Indian teams.
The GCC ecosystem in India is slowly but surely shifting away from labor arbitrage to high-value engineering and innovation.
According to the NASSCOM report, over 50% of GCCs have now transformed into portfolio or transformation centers. It indicates the new scope of activities undertaken by the GCC units of India, which has a direct bearing on the business and technology strategies of their organizations.
These units are not only engaged in execution but also contribute to global product development and enterprise transformation.
A key part of this transformation is the creation of dedicated AI and machine learning Centers of Excellence.
NASSCOM’s earlier landscape data identified 120,000+ AI/ML professionals and more than 185 dedicated AI/ML CoEs within the ecosystem.
These centers are helping organizations build specialized capabilities in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data, and related technologies. The growing number of professionals and CoEs also underscores the increasing importance of AI in India’s GCC landscape.
The responsibilities of Indian GCCs are expanding, even in terms of ownership, as teams in India now not only implement policies from headquarters but also design AI platforms, manage enterprise data, build products, and make business decisions.
This development changes India's role in MNCs' global operations, making Indian centers increasingly responsible for technology strategy.
The emphasis in GCCs is also slowly transitioning from generic generative AI pilots to agentic AI. Systems based on agentic AI can reason, coordinate multistep actions, and revamp entire processes. According to a recent industry analysis, 75% of GCCs have already moved beyond experiments, and 29% now serve as innovation enablers.
This clearly shows that organizations are now treating AI as a technology capable of changing their business processes rather than as a tool for pilot projects.
A rich talent base in India, comprising engineers, data scientists, and AI experts, continues to be a significant element behind the growing AI capabilities in GCCs.
However, there is a challenge for the ecosystem in developing AI leadership among its members. For instance, retail and consumer GCCs were able to double their AI headcount between 2022 and 2025, but only about 320 individuals have more than 8 years of AI experience.
This shows both the rapid growth in hiring and the shortage of highly experienced people to lead such initiatives.
Also Read: India’s GCC Boom Hits Talent Crunch as Demand Grows
The transformation is visible across major technology hubs, including Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, where GCCs are taking on software engineering, AI, cloud, data analytics and digital product responsibilities.
TVH’s Pune center, for instance, has established a Data and AI CoE to drive global data architecture.
Such initiatives underscore the growing role of Indian GCCs in building technological capabilities that support operations and businesses globally.
Government initiatives are also adding momentum to India’s AI ambitions. The IndiaAI Mission, approved with an outlay of Rs. 10,371 crore over five years, focuses on compute, foundation models, AI applications, future skills, startup financing and responsible AI.
By July 2026, the government said 58 AI Centers of Excellence and 27 India Data & AI Labs were supporting the ecosystem.
Also Read: Top Recruitment Agencies for India to GCC Hiring in 2026
Why this Matters
India’s GCCs are becoming strategic AI innovation hubs, creating global products, platforms and intellectual property. This shift strengthens India’s position in the international AI ecosystem, creates demand for advanced talent and gives multinational companies greater access to scalable, high-value technology capabilities.
The measure of success for GCCs is increasingly shifting toward intellectual property creation, predictive accuracy, revenue impact, and business transformation rather than simply headcount or cost savings.
NASSCOM describes this transition as the emergence of an ‘AI-Native Intelligence Engine’.
New investments are also reflecting this trend. LTM recently opened a Global Delivery and AI Competency Center in Kolkata. At the same time, Octave Intelligence inaugurated a global technology and innovation center in Hyderabad focused on software, AI, and product development.
India’s GCC journey is therefore moving from execution centers to capability centers, innovation centers, and increasingly AI-native global business hubs. The combination of AI talent, engineering depth, GCC scale, startup ecosystems, digital infrastructure, and growing business ownership is positioning India as an increasingly important AI innovation engine for multinational companies.
What are GCCs in India?
GCCs are global centers where multinational companies manage technology, engineering, data, innovation, and other strategic business functions.
How are Indian GCCs driving AI innovation?
Indian GCCs are developing AI platforms, machine learning solutions, products and enterprise technologies while taking greater global ownership.
How many AI professionals work within India’s GCC ecosystem?
NASSCOM’s earlier data identified more than 120,000 AI/ML professionals working across India’s expanding GCC ecosystem.
What role does agentic AI play in GCC transformation?
Agentic AI enables systems to reason, coordinate multiple steps, and transform entire workflows beyond conventional generative AI experimentation.
How is the Indian government supporting AI development?
The IndiaAI Mission supports compute, foundation models, AI applications, future skills, startup financing, and responsible AI through Rs. 10,371 crore in funding.
