How are India’s GCCs Driving Enterprise Transformation?

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One of the most defining shifts in India’s technology and business landscape is the transformation of Global Capability Centers (GCCs). Once viewed as back-office cost centers,they now have become the nerve centers of innovation, digital transformation, and strategic growth for global enterprises.

Across sectors, from e-commerce to healthcare, GCCs have evolved into powerful engines of enterprise value, embedded deeply into the core of parent organizations. 

In an exclusive conversation with MIT SMR India, Rohit Kaila, Technology Head and Site Leader at Wayfair India, said, “GCCs in India today are no longer just cost-effective offshore units. They have evolved into strategic hubs of innovation, talent, and domain expertise that drive critical business outcomes for global organizations.”

Wayfair India is a case in point. The company has embraced generative AI not only to transform its tech stack but also to personalize customer experiences and improve developer productivity. “We ensure we stay ahead in an ever-evolving industry by using cutting-edge tech to solve complex problems,” Kaila said.

This transition is not sector-specific. Healthcare, one of the most complex and tightly regulated domains globally, is witnessing its own version of the GCC revolution. At Thryve Digital Health LLP, the India arm of a leading US health insurance and hospital network, the GCC model extends far beyond technology, and is woven into care delivery and operational excellence.

Sumit Kumar, EVP & Chief Delivery Officer at Thryve Digital, told MIT SMR India, “GCCs are fundamentally transforming core business functions. We don’t just support IT, we build the platforms and AI-driven solutions that improve healthcare itself. Our goal is to nurture the 1% who truly understand healthcare deeply, not just technically, but as a mission.”

Where is the Demand Coming from

According to both leaders, the fastest-growing sectors driving GCC expansion include healthcare, BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance), technology, retail, and logistics. Enterprises in these domains are leveraging India’s deep domain knowledge and wide talent base to rethink business models and build future-ready platforms.

Healthcare, in particular, is seeing an urgent need for platforms that connect payers and providers, AI-driven patient engagement systems, and operational automation. “Setting up a GCC in India offers an immediate 20% cost advantage compared to outsourcing. But more importantly, it allows enterprises to reinvest in innovation,” Kumar noted. 

Retail and e-commerce, meanwhile, are digitizing at scale. “Sectors like retail and supply chain that demand a blend of tech and domain expertise are increasingly leaning on India’s GCC ecosystem,” said Kaila.

Indian Cities Powering the GCC Boom

Bengaluru remains India’s undisputed GCC capital, hosting nearly 35% of the country’s centers, thanks to a robust startup ecosystem and favorable state policies like Karnataka’s GCC Policy 2024–2029. Hyderabad is catching up rapidly, with over 355 centers and a maturing talent pipeline. Chennai, Pune, Gurugram, and Mumbai are also consolidating their positions as preferred destinations.

Kumar said, “Hyderabad and Chennai are pivotal to our operations. These cities offer access to strong healthcare and tech talent, as well as a mature delivery ecosystem. Chennai is poised to lead healthcare GCC growth, given its deep academic and research linkages.”

Interestingly, tier-II and tier-III cities like Coimbatore, Mysuru, Jaipur, and Thiruvananthapuram are emerging as next-gen hubs. State incentives, lower costs, and rising education infrastructure are making them attractive for companies looking for strategic, long-term expansion.

Not Just Talent but an Entire Ecosystem

While India’s tech talent is a major draw, the story doesn’t end there. “India’s GCC growth is fueled by exceptional tech talent, yes, but also by deep domain expertise, sector-specific ecosystems, and a thriving collaborative environment,” Kaila said. 

At Thryve Digital,. Kumar said, “he real differentiator is the ability to integrate healthcare domain knowledge with tech execution. We build teams that understand the nuances of payer-provider dynamics, member engagement, and reimbursement models, not just how to code a solution, but why it matters.”

Its proprietary “3i” framework—Ideation, Innovation, Insights—is institutionalized across operations, generating over $10 million in operational savings annually. And their AI models are developed with a “human-in-the-loop” philosophy, ensuring critical healthcare decisions retain human oversight.

GCCs vs Traditional IT Services

One of the starkest differences between the older outsourcing model and modern GCCs lies in ownership and integration. While IT services vendors deliver projects across clients and industries, GCCs are deeply embedded within the enterprise itself.

Kumar said, “Traditional vendors focus on delivering projects for margins. GCCs like ours provide sustained institutional knowledge, protect proprietary processes, and can pivot swiftly with the enterprise’s evolving needs.”

Wayfair echoes this. “Unlike older GCCs that began primarily as cost-arbitrage centers, modern entrants like us are built from day one as strategic hubs. We integrate leadership roles, foster autonomy, and drive impactful global outcomes,” Kaila explained. 

What’s more for GCCs in India

As per Zinnov report, the Indian GCC market is expected to reach between $99 billion and $105 billion by 2030. With the rise of AI, automation, and sector-specific digital transformation, these centers are becoming irreplaceable assets for global enterprises.

In healthcare, Kumar predicts the next leap will come from AI-driven population health management and integrated care platforms. In retail, Kaila expects a greater emphasis on hyper-personalization and supply chain optimization.

But ultimately, it’s not just about scale, it’s about significance. “Scaling for us is not just about adding numbers. It’s about building deep expertise at the intersection of technology and the real-world problems we’re trying to solve.” Kumar mentioned. 

As the lines blur between global headquarters and their Indian capability centers, 2025 marks the year GCCs stopped being the “back office” and started leading from the front.