India, Dec 13: Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India are entering their strongest phase of expansion, driven by deep technology talent, competitive operating costs, and India’s rising role as a global innovation hub. According to Savills India’s latest report, Global Capability Centres: Enabling India’s Strategic Advantage, GCCs leased 112 mn sq. ft. of office space between 2020 and 2024 recording a 12% CAGR and are poised to add 120–246 mn sq. ft. more between 2025 and 2030.
Under a realistic growth scenario, GCC leasing is projected to reach 180 mn sq. ft., averaging 30 mn sq. ft. per year. In 2024 alone, GCCs contributed an all-time high of 33 mn sq. ft., representing 44% of India’s total office absorption, the largest share recorded to date.
“Green infrastructure, hybrid work models and strategic location choices will characterize the next wave of GCC expansion. In India, GCC real estate is no longer just treated as a cost, but as an investment to help businesses attract talent and innovate.” said Arvind Nandan, Managing Director, Research and Consulting, Savills India.
“We are seeing GCCs prioritise location, self sustained developments with support ecosystem, long term scalability and workplace design as core components of their India strategy. The shift toward high-value technology digital and innovation functions is driving the demand for future-ready workspaces.” said Naveen Nandwani, Managing Director, Commercial Advisory & Transactions, Savills India.
India currently hosts 1,800 GCCs employing 1.9 million professionals. This base is expected to expand to 2,200 GCCs and 2.8 million employees by 2030. Sectors such as Software & IT Services, BFSI, Engineering & Manufacturing, Pharma, Retail, and Consumer Services continue to dominate, while new clusters are emerging.
The report identifies Automotive, Semiconductors, and Life Sciences as the three sectors that will collectively account for 30% of the country’s future GCC leasing demand during 2025–2030.
City & Sector Highlights
- Bengaluru accounts for the largest share of GCC leasing, leading in Technology and Engineering & Manufacturing
- Hyderabad dominates in Healthcare & Pharma GCC absorption.
- Mumbai leads in BFSI GCC leasing, despite Bengaluru having the deepest BFSI talent pool.
- 70% of India’s GCC leasing between 2020–2024 was concentrated in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune.
GCCs today offer 12–20% higher compensation than traditional IT services roles, driven by work in advanced areas such as AI/ML, data engineering, cybersecurity, intelligent automation, and cloud platforms.
Future Outlook: Strong Momentum Through the Decade
- GCCs are expected to sustain a strong leasing momentum of around 30 mn sq. ft. each year from 2025 to 2030 in the realistic scenario.
- Automotive, Life Sciences, and Semiconductors GCCs are projected to represent 30% of India’s future GCC leasing between 2025-2030.
- India’s mid-market GCC segment companies with global revenues of USD 100 mn to 1.0 bn stands as the next major growth opportunity.
- India’s talent strength, lower operating costs, policy reforms, and innovation-driven work are set to solidify the country’s position as the leading GCC hub globally.
