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NTT DATA and The Mainstream have jointly released the India Global Capability Centre (GCC) Innovation Transformation Report 2025, highlighting the country’s GCCs’ rapid evolution into global innovation engines.

The report reveals that nearly 40 per cent of India’s GCCs are driving digital modernisation, product co-creation and customer experience design, with artificial intelligence emerging as a key differentiator.

Key findings:

• 40 per cent of GCCs driving innovation: India’s GCCs are maturing into global innovation engines, with a focus on digital modernisation, product co-creation and customer experience design.
• AI-led transformation: Almost every GCC is investing in AI-led transformation, with varying maturity levels across four stages – exploration, piloting, functional integration and enterprise-scale operations.
• Talent gap: Despite India’s deep talent pool, a capability gap exists in end-to-end outcome ownership, with 42 per cent of GCCs citing a scarcity of specialised deep-tech skills.
• Leadership development: Over 70 per cent of Indian GCCs are working to address the leadership gap, with 42 per cent having structured leadership development programmes and 31 per cent using informal mentor–mentee approaches.
• ESG integration: GCCs are embedding ESG principles, green operations and responsible AI into their global mandates, aligning innovation with purpose.

The report is based on research conducted across India’s major hubs, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Delhi, with insights from over 250 GCC leaders and practitioners. The research highlights the growing importance of GCCs in India’s innovation ecosystem, with nearly 2,000 GCCs employing close to two million professionals across sectors.

Commenting on the report, Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, said: “We appreciate the India GCC Thought Leadership Report 2025 for its insightful portrayal of the crucial role Global Capability Centres play in strengthening India’s innovation ecosystem. The report clearly highlights how GCCs have evolved into strategic hubs driving digital transformation, advanced technologies and high-value talent development. Their growing contribution to global competitiveness and economic growth reinforces India’s position as a preferred destination for innovation-led enterprises and future-ready global organisations.”

Leading GCCs are now designing frameworks to track innovation return on investment, linking experimentation with enterprise value. They are increasingly focused on building cross-functional skills and leadership pipelines by accessing talent from multiple cities and training them for end-to-end accountability.

“The India GCC Innovation Transformation Report 2025 goes beyond standard metrics to capture the mindset required to create a global-scale innovation hub. Through extensive dialogue with GCC leaders and in-depth research, we are seeing how India’s capability centres are evolving into the world’s innovation laboratories, where technology, talent and purpose converge,” said Khushbu Soni, Co-Founder and CEO, The Mainstream.

“India’s Global Capability Centres are rapidly transforming into Global Innovation Centres, fuelling enterprise-wide transformation. With the emergence of AI as a major differentiator, this report highlights a turning point in this journey. NTT DATA is proud to partner in amplifying the voices and ambitions of GCC leaders, equipping them with the insights, tools and skills to accelerate this shift. With vision and collaboration, India’s GCCs are poised to lead the world in shaping the future of enterprise and society,” remarked Avinash Joshi, Executive Managing Director, India, NTT DATA, Inc.