What is a Global Capability Centre (GCC)?
A Global Capability Centre is a wholly owned offshore unit set up by a multinational to deliver strategic work, technology, finance, analytics, research and shared services, back to its global business. The people, the intellectual property and the management control all sit with the parent.
GCC, in one paragraph
A Global Capability Centre, also written Global Capability Center and abbreviated GCC, is your own legal entity in a low cost, high talent geography (typically India), staffed by employees you own, running work that is core to your business. It replaces, or sits alongside, traditional Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) contracts. The model has matured from cost arbitrage in the 2000s to strategic capability in the 2020s: more than 70 percent of new GCCs now lead Artificial Intelligence, product engineering or research mandates for their parent (NASSCOM, 2025).
GCC vs BPO vs Shared Services vs CoE
You own the entity, the people, the intellectual property and the management control. Multi function. Strategic mandate.
Third party vendor delivers a contracted service. Vendor owns the people. You buy an output, not a capability.
An older, transactional version of a GCC. Focused on finance, payroll and human resources processing. Lower strategic intent.
A specialist discipline (Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, financial planning) that lives inside a GCC. Not a separate entity.
The four GCC operating models
You incorporate, lease, hire and run everything yourself. Highest control, slowest start, highest fixed cost.
A partner runs seat, IT, payroll, compliance under a per Full Time Equivalent (FTE) fee. You own people and intellectual property. Fastest go live (45 to 60 days).
Partner builds entity, hires team, runs ops for 24 to 36 months, then transfers to you at a pre agreed multiple. Lowest long term cost.
Managed for non core (real estate, IT, payroll), direct for core (engineering leadership, security). Most large mid market GCCs land here within 24 months.
Why India hosts 1,700 plus GCCs
- Talent depth. 1.9 million GCC professionals; 2.5 million Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) graduates annually.
- Cost arbitrage. 60 to 70 percent fully loaded cost saving versus the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Australia at like for like seniority.
- Regulatory maturity. Digital Personal Data Protection Act (2023), Companies Act (2013), robust transfer pricing safe harbour, Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) regimes.
- City choice. Bangalore for engineering and Artificial Intelligence; Pune for finance, accounting and Japanese GCCs; Mumbai for Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI); Hyderabad for life sciences and pharmaceuticals.
- Strategic mandate. 70 percent of new GCCs now hold global Profit and Loss (P&L) ownership, not just delivery.
Frequently asked questions
A Global Capability Centre is a wholly owned offshore unit set up by a multinational to deliver strategic work, technology, finance, analytics, research and shared services, back to its global business. Unlike outsourcing, a GCC is captive: the people, the intellectual property and the management control all sit with the parent.
A Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) vendor is a third party that delivers a service contract. A GCC is your own legal entity, your own talent, your own systems and your own intellectual property. The cost is similar; the control, the retention and the strategic value are far higher.
A Centre of Excellence (CoE) is a function inside a GCC. A GCC is the legal and operational vehicle; a CoE is a discipline (for example, an Artificial Intelligence CoE or a Financial Planning and Analysis CoE) that lives inside it.
India hosts more than 1,700 GCCs employing 1.9 million professionals (NASSCOM, 2025). The country offers a deep, English speaking talent pool, 60 to 70 percent cost arbitrage versus the United States and Europe, strong regulatory frameworks (Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023), and mature city ecosystems in Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Engineering and product, data and analytics, finance and accounting, risk and compliance, human resources, procurement, customer success, cybersecurity, research and development, and increasingly Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning teams.
A managed GCC can go live in 45 to 60 days. A direct entity setup takes 90 to 180 days. A full Build Operate Transfer (BOT) typically runs 24 to 36 months before transfer.
Where to go next
Plan your India GCC
We help global companies launch and scale captive Global Capability Centres in Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai and Hyderabad. OpEx-first, zero capex, full compliance.