Set up a GCC in India

A Global Capability Center (GCC), sometimes called a Global In-house Center (GIC) or captive center, is an offshore unit that a multinational owns and operates to deliver strategic work, such as engineering, data, AI, finance and R&D, for the parent company. Unlike outsourcing, a GCC keeps the talent, the IP and the roadmap in-house. India is the world leader, hosting more than 2,100 GCCs as of 2026.

Setting up a GCC in India follows six steps: define the mandate and the functions the center will own; choose the operating model (direct captive, Build-Operate-Transfer, or GCC-as-a-Service); pick a city and set up the legal entity and office; hire the founding leadership and core team; stand up the technology, data and AI capability; then scale in phases against clear metrics. Most centers reach an initial operating team within a few months, and the AI and engineering capability can be built in parallel from week one.

A focused GCC can move from decision to a working team in roughly three to six months, though timelines vary with entity setup and hiring. Cost depends on headcount, city and model: India typically delivers 40 to 60 percent lower fully-loaded cost per role than onshore markets, which is a large part of why the model has scaled so fast. A Build-Operate-Transfer or GCC-as-a-Service model lowers the upfront cost and risk by letting a partner run the ramp before you take ownership.

India hosts more than 2,100 GCCs employing over 2.3 million professionals and generating close to 100 billion dollars in annual revenue, more than 55 percent of the global GCC market. The draw is the depth of engineering and data talent, strong English proficiency, mature infrastructure across cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad, favourable cost, and a time-zone that overlaps with both Europe and Asia. In 2026 the majority of new GCCs launch with an AI or product mandate from day one.

A direct captive means you set up and run the center yourself from day one, with full control but full upfront effort. Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) means a partner builds the team and runs operations during the ramp, then transfers the entity and people to you once it is stable, which lowers risk and speeds time-to-value. GCC-as-a-Service keeps a partner running the operational layer for longer while you retain the roadmap. The right choice depends on how quickly you need capability and how much you want to own on day one.

Agility is the AI and engineering capability partner for GCCs. We do not sell legal, real-estate or entity setup. What we do is stand up the AI, data and engineering layer of your center fast: senior AI and ML engineers, data platforms, generative AI and RAG systems, and production delivery, either as an embedded team you hire through us or as a delivery partner that ships while your GCC ramps. For centers with an AI mandate, this is the hardest capability to hire for, and the one we build in weeks rather than quarters.

Bengaluru remains the GCC capital with the deepest talent pool and around a third of all activity, and is strongest for engineering, product and AI. Hyderabad has grown fast and is strong in BFSI and analytics. Pune and Chennai offer engineering depth at lower cost and attrition, and Gujarat (Ahmedabad and GIFT City) is emerging for BFSI and cost-sensitive mandates. The best city depends on your function, budget and talent competition.