Cloud backup and data protection company CrashPlan has announced the expansion of its operations in India with the launch of a new Global Capability Center (GCC) in Bengaluru, marking a significant step in the company’s global growth strategy. The center will serve as a key innovation and development hub, focusing on product engineering, research and development, and customer success operations.
The move aligns with CrashPlan’s ambition to strengthen its global footprint and leverage India’s strong technology talent pool. Under the leadership of CEO John Becker, the company aims to double its workforce over the next two years and position India as a strategic pillar in its international operations.
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Minneapolis, CrashPlan is known for its cloud-based data backup, recovery, and security services tailored for small and medium businesses. The company’s India expansion comes amid rising global demand for secure cloud data management and resilience solutions as enterprises increasingly rely on hybrid and remote work models.
In an official statement, CrashPlan highlighted that the Bengaluru GCC will play a central role in driving innovation in AI-driven data protection, automation, and scalable infrastructure. The center is expected to enhance the company’s agility in developing new features, improving customer experiences, and supporting enterprise clients across global markets.
John Becker, who took charge as CEO earlier this year, described India as a strategic growth hub for the company’s long-term vision. “India represents an incredible opportunity for technology innovation and scale. With our new Bengaluru center, we are investing not only in capacity but also in talent and innovation to support our global customers more effectively,” he said.
The new center is part of CrashPlan’s broader growth plan following its transition into an independent entity after being acquired by Mill Point Capital. Since then, the company has been focused on accelerating growth through innovation, customer expansion, and strategic global hiring.
According to company officials, the India team will initially focus on software development, quality assurance, and customer support, with plans to expand into advanced analytics and AI-driven product features in the coming phases.
CrashPlan’s India leadership emphasized that Bengaluru was chosen for its deep technology ecosystem, skilled workforce, and its growing reputation as a global hub for cloud and enterprise software innovation. The company plans to collaborate closely with India’s tech community to strengthen its research and development capabilities and enhance operational efficiency.
The Bengaluru GCC will not only serve as a product innovation center but also as a strategic nerve center for business operations, helping the company streamline development cycles and accelerate go-to-market initiatives. CrashPlan expects the center to contribute significantly to its overall global operations within the next 18 months.
Industry experts believe this expansion highlights the increasing role of India as a preferred location for global companies looking to establish capability centers focused on digital transformation and AI innovation. According to a NASSCOM report, India currently hosts over 1,600 GCCs, a number expected to cross 1,900 by 2026, reflecting the country’s growing prominence in the global technology ecosystem.
CrashPlan’s GCC launch also comes at a time when enterprises worldwide are placing greater emphasis on data sovereignty, cybersecurity, and cloud efficiency. The company has indicated that its Bengaluru hub will focus on integrating advanced data management technologies and AI capabilities to meet these evolving enterprise needs.
In addition to expanding its workforce, CrashPlan aims to strengthen its partnerships with local technology providers, academic institutions, and innovation ecosystems. The company believes this will help it build a sustainable talent pipeline and foster innovation in next-generation cloud solutions.
Speaking on the expansion, Becker noted, “India will be central to our vision of building a secure and intelligent data management ecosystem for the future. Our goal is to empower global businesses to safeguard and manage their data seamlessly, and India’s tech capabilities will play a pivotal role in achieving that.”
CrashPlan’s new focus on AI-powered automation aligns with the broader shift in the cloud storage and backup industry. As organizations increasingly generate vast amounts of data, intelligent systems capable of predicting risks, optimizing storage, and ensuring rapid recovery have become essential.
With the Bengaluru center operational, CrashPlan is also expected to tap into India’s expertise in AI, machine learning, and DevOps to accelerate its R&D initiatives. The company plans to develop new AI models that enhance data protection by proactively identifying potential security breaches and optimizing storage utilization.
The expansion is part of CrashPlan’s “AI-first growth roadmap,” under which it is integrating advanced analytics into its backup solutions to help businesses derive actionable insights from their data. This approach reflects a broader industry trend where data protection companies are evolving from being backup providers to strategic partners in data intelligence.
CrashPlan’s entry into the Indian GCC landscape also reflects growing competition in the enterprise cloud space, where players like Druva, Cohesity, and Veeam have been expanding their India presence. However, the company’s emphasis on combining AI-driven automation with strong data governance may give it a distinctive edge in the market.
The Bengaluru GCC is expected to begin operations with around 200 employees, with plans to expand to more than 400 by 2026. Recruitment will focus on software engineering, product design, and AI development roles, with an emphasis on building a strong local leadership team to drive growth.
For India, this move signals continued investor confidence in the country’s technology ecosystem, especially in AI, cybersecurity, and cloud computing sectors. For CrashPlan, the establishment of its Bengaluru center underscores a long-term commitment to building technological resilience, innovation, and operational excellence across global markets.
As Becker summed up, the company’s India investment represents “a leap toward becoming a truly AI-native global enterprise,” driven by a mission to deliver smarter, safer, and more scalable data protection for the digital age.