India now hosts more than 2,117 global capability centres (GCCs) with 3,728 units, employing about 2.36 million people and generating roughly $98.4 billion in revenue, according to the Nasscom-Zinnov report released in May 2026. That is up from about 1,430 GCCs in FY2019. This guide sets out the latest counts, the city split, the shift towards AI work and the projections for 2030.
What a global capability centre is
A global capability centre is an offshore unit owned by a multinational that does work for the parent company, rather than for outside clients. Early centres handled back-office processing and IT support. Today many own products, engineering platforms, analytics and security for the global business, which is why the older term captive centre is now used less often.
Counting conventions matter. A GCC is a company's presence in India, while a unit is each separate centre or site, so one multinational can run several units. Reports also differ on whether they count only technology-focused centres, which explains why published totals vary from one study to the next.
How many GCCs India has in 2026
The most recent count comes from the Nasscom-Zinnov report The GCC Value Orbit, covered by The Mainstream on 7 May 2026. It puts India at more than 2,117 GCCs and 3,728 GCC units, a 32% rise since FY2021, with about 2.36 million employees and roughly $98.4 billion in revenue.
Earlier counts used by Nasscom and Zinnov were lower because they measured different periods or scopes. Zinnov's January 2026 analysis cited more than 1,760 centres by the end of 2025, and a November 2025 Nasscom report cited the same 1,760-plus figure with nearly 1.9 million professionals. Either way, the trend is steady growth in both the number of centres and their headcount.
| Period | GCCs in India | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FY2019 | About 1,430 | Economic Survey 2024-25 |
| FY2023 | 1,580 | Nasscom-Zinnov, reported June 2023 |
| FY2024 | More than 1,700 | Economic Survey 2024-25 |
| End of 2025 | More than 1,760 | Zinnov, January 2026 |
| May 2026 report | More than 2,117 (3,728 units) | Nasscom-Zinnov, The GCC Value Orbit |
Jobs and revenue
The Economic Survey 2024-25, published on 31 January 2025, said India added more than 400 new GCCs and about 1,100 new units over five years, and that the sector employed nearly 1.9 million professionals. The May 2026 Nasscom-Zinnov count of about 2.36 million shows that headcount has kept rising.
Revenue has grown with it. A Karnataka-focused report released by YourStory and Xpheno in 2025 cited export revenue of more than $65 billion for India's GCCs, and the Nasscom-Zinnov 2026 figure is about $98.4 billion. Nasscom's mid-market study adds that GCCs now account for nearly one-third of the Indian technology industry's exports, and a November 2025 Nasscom report said nearly 70% of new GCCs set up in Asia choose India.
Where GCCs are located
GCCs cluster in a few cities. Zinnov's January 2026 analysis says six cities, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, the NCR, Pune, Mumbai and Chennai, host 92% of India's GCCs. Bengaluru alone has more than 880 centres and Hyderabad more than 355. In Nasscom's mid-market study, 74% of new GCC units opened in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR and Chennai.
Karnataka's share of talent is especially large. The 2025 YourStory and Xpheno report counted more than 890 GCC units and an active workforce of about 7.5 lakh in the state. Hyderabad has grown quickly, accounting for 25% of GCC talent growth over five years according to Nasscom's mid-market research.
| City or region | Data point | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru | 880+ GCCs | Zinnov, Jan 2026 |
| Hyderabad | 355+ GCCs; 25% of talent growth in 5 years | Zinnov, Jan 2026; Nasscom-Zinnov, 2025 |
| Karnataka | 890+ GCC units; about 7.5 lakh workforce | YourStory and Xpheno, 2025 |
| Six top cities combined | 92% of all GCCs | Zinnov, Jan 2026 |
Mid-market and mega GCCs
Two groups are driving growth. Mid-market companies, those with $100 million to $1 billion in annual revenue, run more than 480 GCCs in India, about 27% of the total, with over 680 units and more than 2,10,000 professionals, according to the Nasscom and Zinnov study India's GCC Leap. Nearly 35% of these centres were set up in the last two years.
At the other end are mega GCCs. Zinnov counts 88 centres with more than 5,000 employees each, about 5% of the total, and says they employ nearly half of the entire GCC workforce. It expects that number to pass 230 by 2030. About 43% of the mega GCC workforce works in engineering research and development.
AI and higher-value work
AI has become the main theme of GCC growth. The Nasscom-Zinnov 2026 report says more than 1,200 Indian GCCs now have AI and machine learning capabilities, over 250 companies run dedicated AI and ML centres of excellence, and India holds 28% of the global GCC AI talent pool, second only to the US. Nearly 50% of centres have reached a high maturity stage.
The mandate is also changing. The same report found that 96% of GCCs set up after FY2021 launched with a product or portfolio mandate, rather than as cost centres. The GCC India Talentscope 2025 survey, reported by People Matters, found 59% of leaders named AI and ML optimisation as their top technical priority.
Leadership roles and talent supply
GCCs increasingly host global leadership roles. Zinnov counted more than 6,500 such roles in India in 2024, including more than 1,050 held by women, and expects more than 30,000 by 2030. The Economic Survey 2024-25 uses the same 30,000 projection, which suggests the number of senior roles will grow far faster than headcount.
Talent supply is the main concern. In the Talentscope 2025 survey, nine in ten GCC leaders expected demand for talent to outstrip supply, and only 19% believed AI would meaningfully close that gap. That pressure is pushing centres towards newer cities and towards partnerships with service providers and startups.
Outlook to 2030
Forecasts for 2030 cluster in a similar range. Zinnov projects 2,000 to 2,200 GCCs and a market above $100 billion, though the 2026 count has already passed the lower end. The Talentscope 2025 report projects about 2,400 GCCs and 4.5 million professionals by 2030, and the YourStory and Xpheno report expects the workforce to exceed 2.6 million.
For Indian technology firms, the growth of GCCs creates demand for specialist partners in engineering, data, AI and security. XDQ Labs, a Gurugram engineering company, builds software, AI agents and security work of this kind, and the figures above suggest that demand will keep rising.
| Projection for 2030 | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Number of GCCs | 2,000 to 2,200 | Zinnov, Jan 2026 |
| Number of GCCs | About 2,400 | GCC India Talentscope 2025 |
| Professionals employed | 4.5 million+ | GCC India Talentscope 2025 |
| Market size | $100 billion+ | Zinnov, Jan 2026 |
| Global leadership roles | 30,000+ | Zinnov; Economic Survey 2024-25 |
| Mega GCCs | 230+ | Zinnov, Jan 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
How many global capability centres are there in India in 2026?
The Nasscom-Zinnov report The GCC Value Orbit, released in May 2026, counts more than 2,117 GCCs and 3,728 GCC units in India. Earlier counts used for late 2025 cited more than 1,760 centres, because they covered a different period and scope.
How many people work in GCCs in India?
About 2.36 million people work in India's GCCs, according to the Nasscom-Zinnov report released in May 2026. The Economic Survey 2024-25 had put the figure at nearly 1.9 million professionals, so headcount has continued to grow.
Which Indian city has the most GCCs?
Bengaluru has the most, with more than 880 GCCs according to Zinnov's January 2026 analysis. Hyderabad is second with more than 355. Six cities, including the NCR, Pune, Mumbai and Chennai, together host 92% of all GCCs.
What is the GCC market size in India?
Indian GCCs generated about $98.4 billion in revenue according to the Nasscom-Zinnov report of May 2026. Zinnov projects the market to exceed $100 billion by 2030, and a 2025 YourStory and Xpheno report projected $100 to 110 billion.
Sources
- AI drives transformation of India's GCC ecosystem, says Nasscom-Zinnov report, The Mainstream, 2026
- 5 shifts defining India's Global Capability Centers story in 2025, Zinnov, 2026
- India remains leading destination for tech GCCs: Economic Survey, YourStory, 2025
- Mid-market GCCs driving India tech industry growth: Report, YourStory, 2025
- Over 1,760 GCCs in India fast becoming frontlines of enterprise transformation: Nasscom, Lokmat Times, 2025
- Karnataka remains dominant talent leader for GCCs in India: Karnataka GCCs Report, YourStory, 2025
- GCC growth by 2030: talent insights from the India Talentscope 2025 report, People Matters, 2025
- India to have over 1900 GCCs by 2025: Report, IndBiz, Government of India, 2023
- India GCCs becoming innovation engines: Nasscom report, YourStory, 2025
