Most discussion of careers in Indian business still centres on Indian companies and startups. A fast-growing part of the market for strategy and operations talent is the Indian arms of global companies, and the numbers show how large it has become.
The scale
Zinnov and nasscom counted more than 1,700 GCCs in India in FY24, generating about $64.6 billion in revenue and employing more than 1.9 million people. Their FY26 count is 2,117 GCCs across 3,728 units, employing about 2.36 million people, with the number of GCCs up 32% since FY21. About 506 of the Forbes Global 2000 companies now run operations from India. Mid-market firms account for a growing share: more than 480 centres with over 210,000 professionals, 27% of all GCCs in India.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| GCCs in India (FY26) | 2,117, across 3,728 units |
| People employed (FY26) | About 2.36 million |
| Revenue (FY24) | About $64.6 billion |
| Forbes Global 2000 companies with a GCC in India | About 506 |
| Growth in number of GCCs since FY21 | 32% |
From back office to strategy
The early centres handled processing, support and maintenance work that was cheaper to do in India. Zinnov and nasscom now describe Indian GCCs as increasingly leading AI mandates for their parent companies. The work has moved up to product, analytics, risk and strategy, which means these centres hire the same people startups and consulting firms want: people who can frame a problem, size it and make something happen across teams.
What it means for startups and consulting
For startups, GCCs are both a competitor for talent and a customer. They pay well and offer stability, which raises the bar a startup's offer has to clear. They also buy software and services, and an Indian startup that sells into GCCs gets a buyer that already works in the Indian context.
For consulting firms, GCCs are clients that increasingly do in-house what they once bought. The work that remains is the kind that needs an outside view: transformation, controls and the design of how the centre itself operates. That is close to the process and decision-rights work I describe in where margin leaks in Indian companies.
What I would watch
- Whether GCC hiring keeps moving toward strategy and AI roles, or pauses with global budgets.
- Growth in cities beyond Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune, which would widen the talent market.
- How many startups are founded by people leaving GCCs, a new source of experienced founders.
