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From cost centres to innovation hubs, life sciences global capability centres (GCCs) in India have evolved rapidly in recent years. Today, India is emerging as a global hub, with 23 of the world’s top 50 life sciences companies establishing GCCs in the country — more than half of them in just the past five years, noted EY India’s latest report.

These centres are no longer just back offices or support functions sitting on the sidelines. According to EY India’s report, these centres have become strategic drivers of innovation, taking on critical global roles in drug discovery, digital therapeutics, and real-world evidence (RWE) analytics. Increasingly, they are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate research pipelines and deliver more patient-focused solutions.

Besides, the GCCs are now managing integrated functions across the life sciences ecosystem: from clinical trial operations, pharmacovigilance and regulatory affairs to supply chain analytics and biostatistics. They also support enabling functions such as finance, HR, IT, and data analytics. This broader scope is driving measurable outcomes for global enterprises.

“This isn’t about cost arbitrage anymore, it’s about India becoming indispensable to the global R&D pipeline. Lifesciences multinationals are embedding their most strategic, knowledge-intensive work here, making India the epicentre for life sciences innovation, compliance and future growth,” said Arindam Sen, Partner and GCC Sector Lead – Technology, Media & Entertainment and Telecommunications, EY India, in a press release.

EY data shows that the penetration of both core and enabling functions has accelerated sharply over the past five years. On the enabling side, life sciences GCCs in India now handle 70% of finance, 75% of HR, 62% of supply chain and 67% of IT functions for their global organisations.

The report also highlights four key factors driving India’s rise as a global hub for life sciences GCCs.

Policy support: States like Karnataka, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh are offering targeted incentives — including capital expenditure subsidies, rental reimbursements, skilling support and land rebates.

Talent: With over 2.7 million professionals in the life sciences industry, India offers a deep talent pool. The country also produces 2 million STEM graduates and over 110,000 medical graduates annually.

Mature ecosystem: India’s robust ecosystem including leading academic institutions, more than 100 unicorns, and a thriving startup scene makes it a prime hub for innovation-led GCCs.

Infrastructure: The country offers widespread access to Grade-A commercial real estate in major metros as well as emerging Tier II and III cities, supporting scalable and cost-efficient GCC expansion.

Life sciences GCCs in India are rapidly evolving from support centres to strategic partners, mirroring global headquarters in capability and ambition. However, their future will depend on developing new skills, focusing on results and working closely with the wider innovation network.