Key facts
- India's Global Capability Center (GCC) ecosystem is seeing a convergence of greenfield and brownfield activity around capability-led work.
- In 2025, India recorded approximately 100 new GCC entrants and 115-120 brownfield expansions.
- The brownfield segment represents a $11-14 billion opportunity, significantly larger than the $750-930 million greenfield opportunity.
- Since FY2024, 96% of new GCCs have established engineering, R&D, or product development charters from day one, with 49% building AI/ML capabilities.
- The time to reach maturity for GCCs has decreased, with 63% of those established in the last five years reaching Portfolio or Transformation Hub stages.
- The GCC ecosystem is projected to grow from over 3,700 units in FY26, with AI and ML capability building being a key driver.
India's Global Capability Center (GCC) ecosystem is undergoing a significant transformation, with both new center setups (greenfield) and existing center expansions (brownfield) showing similar activity levels but increasingly converging around higher-value, capability-led work. Market research firm UnearthInsight indicates that in 2025, India is expected to see around 100 new GCC entrants and 115-120 brownfield expansions. While the unit numbers are comparable, the value opportunity in the brownfield segment is substantially larger, estimated at $11-14 billion compared to $750-930 million for greenfield. The overall GCC enabler market is valued at $12-15 billion and is projected to reach $20-25 billion by 2030.
Industry experts highlight that the more critical change is the speed and ambition with which these centers are being designed. Data from Zinnov reveals that 96% of GCCs established since FY2024 were created with engineering, R&D, or product development mandates from the outset, with nearly half focusing on artificial intelligence and machine learning from inception. This signifies a departure from the traditional model where capability building followed setup; now, higher-value mandates are embedded from the beginning, shrinking the time to maturity. Zinnov data shows that 63% of GCCs established in the last five years have already reached Portfolio or Transformation Hub maturity, a stage that traditionally took five to ten years. Nearly 46% of all GCCs are currently at these advanced stages.
EY India notes that while greenfield activity remains steady with new entrants from sectors like healthcare, retail, and manufacturing, brownfield expansion is becoming more complex and value-driven. Companies are embedding AI, developing sector-specific expertise, and expanding capabilities within existing centers. GCC enablers like ANSR and Embark confirm that greenfield and brownfield models are now running in parallel, chosen based on specific capability needs rather than lifecycle stages. Expansion is driven by outcomes such as product ownership and AI-led work, rather than solely by headcount growth. Embark estimates the GCC ecosystem has grown from about 2,700 units in FY21 to over 3,700 units in FY26, with both new creations and expansions contributing significantly, particularly driven by AI and ML capability building within existing centers.
This trend is also attracting large IT services firms, with Tata Consultancy Services launching a dedicated business unit to build AI-native GCCs and upgrade existing ones. The challenge ahead, according to Zinnov, is for the substantial portion of India's GCC base still at lower maturity stages to transition to higher value creation, a move that requires significant capability building in AI, platform engineering, and talent strategy. Zinnov projects that 75% of GCCs will aim for higher maturity in the next five years, shifting from execution-focused operations to becoming primary engines of value creation for their global enterprises.