Are There Over 130 UK GCCs in India Generating $6.5 Billion Annually?

New Delhi, June 29 (NationPress) More than 130 Global Capability Centres (GCCs) from the UK have been established in India as of FY24, positioning them as the second-largest GCC group in the country, following the US. These centres are responsible for generating an impressive $6.5 billion in annual revenue, as highlighted in a recent report.

According to the report from the renowned consulting firm Zinnov, these 130 GCCs employ upwards of 200,000 professionals across various sectors such as financial services, software, engineering, media, and retail.

Notably, nearly 14 percent of these UK GCCs are affiliated with Fortune Global 500 companies, with approximately 95 percent actively engaged in engineering research and development (ER&D).

The report emphasizes that, “In recent years, the collaborative ties between the UK and India in areas like trade, technology, education, and innovation have strengthened significantly. By 2025, this partnership has reached a new benchmark, with India emerging as a strategic hub for UK-based organizations aiming to enhance scale, innovation, and resilience.”

Importantly, the talent pool in these UK Global Capability Centres is predominantly focused on IT, Engineering, and R&D, with 95 percent of the workforce dedicated to these areas.

As the report states, “These centres are not merely cost-saving entities; they are vital hubs for product development, technology, and innovation. The UK ranks as the sixth-largest investor in India, having contributed $35 billion since the year 2000, creating jobs and establishing the groundwork for sustainable Digital and Engineering capabilities.”

UK companies leverage Indian GCCs to bridge capability gaps domestically, particularly in fields like engineering, AI, and product development, all while benefitting from speed and cost efficiencies.

India, known for producing the highest number of STEM graduates globally, boasts a workforce of 3.3 million software engineers, but the report suggests that scale is just one part of the equation.

While global costs for establishing 100-member teams have increased by 8 percent, India still offers costs that are up to 50 percent lower than those in the UK. Additionally, India has the largest AI-ready workforce worldwide, prompting UK GCCs to tap into this asset with growing urgency.

As noted in the Zinnov report, many organizations have transitioned from pilot projects to full-scale AI initiatives, utilizing Indian talent and technological ecosystems to facilitate this shift. The true advantage lies not just in affordability, but in the ability to swiftly create high-performance teams, with access to complementary capabilities in startups, academia, and R&D communities.