India’s Global Capability Centre (GCC) ecosystem is undergoing a structural shift.
For years, GCCs were largely associated with back-office support, IT services, and operational efficiency. Today, many of the world’s largest enterprises are expanding their India operations into strategic hubs for AI, analytics, customer intelligence, digital commerce, and enterprise decision-making.
According to industry estimates, India is expected to host more than 2,100 GCCs by FY26, employing over 2.3 million people and generating close to $100 billion in annual value. Increasingly, these centres are moving closer to core business functions, including customer experience, data science, personalization, commercial planning, and AI-led operations.
For global brands, India is no longer just a support market. It is becoming a capability engine.
Here are 10 global companies using India-based GCCs to strengthen AI, analytics, digital transformation, and customer intelligence operations.
1. Lowe’s
Lowe’s India has evolved into one of the retailer’s most important global capability centres.
Based in Bengaluru, the centre works across data science, analytics, merchandising technology, omnichannel platforms, supply chain systems, and digital operations. Lowe’s publicly states that its India teams support areas including marketing technology, engineering, product development, and customer experience platforms.
The company’s India operations increasingly function as an integrated extension of its global retail transformation strategy rather than a traditional support centre.
2. Target
Target’s Bengaluru GCC has become a major part of the retailer’s global technology and analytics ecosystem.
The company’s India teams work across engineering, data science, analytics, digital commerce, and enterprise platforms. Reuters recently reported that nearly 40% of Target’s global technology workforce is now based in Bengaluru, with the company continuing to expand analytics capabilities in India.
As retail becomes increasingly data-driven, India-based teams are playing a growing role in areas tied to customer intelligence and omnichannel operations.
3. Heineken
Heineken formally opened its business services centre in Hyderabad in 2026 as part of its broader digital transformation strategy.
The centre supports finance operations, digital services, data and analytics, and enterprise process transformation. The company has positioned the India operation as a hub for digitally enabled ways of working and business modernization.
For consumer brands operating across multiple markets, capabilities around analytics, automation, and connected business operations are becoming increasingly central to growth strategies.
4. Best Buy
US electronics retailer Best Buy has steadily expanded its Bengaluru technology hub with a strong focus on data and AI capabilities.
Reuters reported that the company plans to significantly increase staffing in India as it scales AI and technology operations. The Bengaluru centre supports engineering, analytics, and digital commerce initiatives across the business.
The move reflects a broader retail trend where customer experience, analytics, and commerce infrastructure are becoming deeply interconnected.
5. Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark has emerged as one of the more visible examples of AI-led marketing transformation involving India operations.
According to public reporting, the company developed AI systems that dramatically reduced content creation timelines while also helping identify creators and localize campaigns for brands such as Huggies.
The shift highlights how consumer brands are increasingly combining AI, analytics, and content intelligence to modernize marketing operations globally.
6. Novo Nordisk
Pharmaceutical major Novo Nordisk is using India-based teams across AI, analytics, regulatory operations, and commercial planning functions.
Reuters reported that the company’s Bengaluru operations support regulatory documentation, safety analysis, and broader business intelligence workflows as Novo Nordisk accelerates AI adoption internally.
The development reflects how healthcare companies are increasingly relying on centralized analytics and AI infrastructure to support enterprise decision-making.
7. WPP
In 2024, WPP announced that India would become the headquarters of its scaled global delivery centre.
The move is significant because agency holding companies are increasingly centralizing analytics, content operations, production, martech implementation, and AI-enabled workflows through large capability hubs.
India’s growing role in WPP’s operating model reflects a larger industry shift where marketing services are becoming more technology-driven and globally integrated.
8. McDonald’s
McDonald’s established a new global office in Hyderabad as part of its wider business transformation efforts.
The centre supports technology, business operations, and enterprise services across global markets. While the company has not positioned the operation specifically as a marketing hub, the expansion signals how multinational consumer brands are increasingly investing in India-based digital and analytics capabilities.
As loyalty ecosystems, app engagement, and digital ordering become central to modern QSR operations, data and technology functions are becoming increasingly important across the industry.
9. PepsiCo
PepsiCo continues to expand analytics, digital, and consumer intelligence capabilities through its India operations.
Publicly available hiring mandates and business roles indicate growing focus on shopper insights, analytics, data strategy, and digital transformation support functions based out of India.
Like many global consumer brands, PepsiCo is increasingly relying on data-led decision-making to optimize customer engagement and commercial planning.
10. IBM
IBM’s India operations remain central to its global AI, cloud, and enterprise technology ecosystem.
The company’s India teams contribute across enterprise AI systems, automation, consulting, cloud infrastructure, and data platforms that support business transformation initiatives globally.
As enterprises increasingly adopt AI-driven customer engagement and operational intelligence systems, India continues to play a major role in enabling large-scale enterprise technology capabilities.
The Bigger Shift
The larger story is not simply that multinational companies are expanding in India.
It is that the nature of work being centralized here is changing rapidly.
Modern enterprises increasingly require integrated capabilities across AI, analytics, engineering, customer intelligence, automation, and digital operations. India’s talent ecosystem has made it one of the few markets capable of supporting that transformation at scale.
As AI adoption accelerates globally, GCCs are moving closer to the centre of enterprise decision-making.
And increasingly, many of those decisions are being powered from India.
Disclaimer: All data points and statistics are attributed to published research studies and verified market research. All quotes are either sourced directly or attributed to public statements.
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