Global capability centres: Driving the next wave of commercial real estate growth in India
Thematic Report
16 Oct 2025
PowerPoint Presentation
India
offers the world’s most affordable prime office rentals at just USD 1–2 per sq
ft per month, making it a highly cost-effective destination for GCCs. Combined
with significantly lower employee costs plus a vast pool of skilled talent, a
growing domestic market and rapidly improving urban infrastructure, India
delivers unmatched scalability and operational efficiency for GCCs. Office
leasing by GCCs in India stayed strong despite global headwinds; ICRA monitors
evolving risks.
US-based
Global Capability Centres (GCCs) have led Grade A office space demand in India,
accounting for 70% of the total GCC absorption since 2021. While the US remains
dominant, the UK, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, and Singapore are steadily
increasing their presence. Global firms prefer cities with strong talent pools
and established ecosystems, with 65% of new leasing in green-certified
integrated tech parks.
GCCs in India
are evolving from back-office functions to hubs of innovation, driving product
development, artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML), cloud, and
digital transformation. From ~1,700 GCCs today, ICRA projects the number to
exceed 2,500 by 2030, generating over USD 100 billion in revenue and scaling
workforce capacity by 1.5-2 times. This growth is fuelling demand for
tech-enabled, flexible workspaces, creating significant commercial real estate
opportunities.