Hon’ble Finance Minister and Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh to Address GCC Business Summit
CII charts roadmap for India’s next phase of global leadership in knowledge industries
Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Hon’ble Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Government of India and Shri N Chandrababu Naidu, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh would address the large gathering of GCCs and the ecosystem players at the CII GCC Business Summit, being scheduled for 17 September 2025 in Vizag. The event would see deliberations on a framework for a model State GCC Policy and how the next wave of GCC growth can be spearheaded by tier 2 cities.
Quoting the Union Budget speech - “A national framework will be formulated as guidance to states for promoting Global Capability Centres in emerging tier-2 cities. This will suggest measures for enhancing availability of talent and infrastructure, building-byelaw reforms, and mechanisms for collaboration with industry” – CII said that the Industry body has worked extensively to develop a suggested framework for a National GCC Policy and is now in the process of giving shape to a suggested framework for a model State GCC policy.
The CII press release said that India has emerged as the undisputed global hub for Global Capability Centres (GCCs). With over 1,800 GCCs employing 2.16 million professionals and contributing nearly $68 billion to national GDP, India today hosts almost half of the world’s GCCs. The sector’s trajectory underscores the combined strength of India’s talent, infrastructure, policy environment, and the supportive role of the Government of India and state governments.
In recognition of this success, and to lay the foundation for future growth, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has formulated a Suggested Framework for a National GCC Policy. This policy blueprint provides a unified national vision to accelerate India’s transformation from a delivery hub to a global innovation leader.
“The release of the suggested framework for a National GCC Policy is a timely and significant step towards realizing the full potential of this sector. It outlines a strategic blueprint that brings together policy coherence, enabling infrastructure, talent development, and institutional coordination to ensure sustained value creation,” said CII in its release.
Over the past three decades, India’s GCC journey has evolved in four phases – from cost-focused IT and back-office hubs in the 1990s, to multi-function delivery centres in the 2000s, to digital and innovation hubs post-2015, and now into global enterprise hubs of resilience and digital acceleration. Key achievements include India’s commanding global share, with nearly half of the world’s GCCs located here; direct employment of 2.16 million professionals supporting almost 10.4 million jobs in total; an economic contribution of $68 billion in gross value added that is projected to rise to between $154 and $199 billion by 2030; and a job creation potential of 20–25 million roles by the end of the decade, including 4–5 million direct positions. Investor confidence remains strong, with 3 new GCCs being set up every two weeks.
“India’s GCCs are no longer peripheral—they are extended headquarters that drive global strategy, design, and innovation. With the right national framework, India can elevate this success into a global leadership role, shaping the future of enterprise operations and innovation,” said the CII release.
While state governments have actively promoted GCC investments through policies and incentives, the next leap requires a holistically aligned, nationally coordinated approach. The new framework is designed to provide a single-window experience to investors, reduce regulatory friction and ensure ease of doing business, enable plug-and-play infrastructure across metros and Tier-2/3 cities, build deep talent pipelines through academia-industry linkages, and ensure alignment with national missions such as Digital India, Smart Cities, and Gati Shakti.
The framework is anchored in three pillars—national direction, enabling ecosystem, and measurable outcomes—supported by four critical success factors: talent, infrastructure, regional inclusion, and innovation. To operationalise these, CII has recommended a set of key initiatives.
First, a legislatively backed National GCC Council should be established to guide strategy, ensure cross-ministry coordination and centre–state alignment, facilitate investments in talent, infrastructure, and innovation, and function as a “touchless lifecycle manager” for global investors.
Second, next-generation Digital Economic Zones (DEZs) should be created to integrate physical and digital infrastructure, harmonise regulations, and provide world-class facilities and incentives. These DEZs would also serve as plug-and-play models for GCCs in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, space technology, logistics, smart cities, and quantum analytics.
Third, the framework proposes deepening industry–academia partnerships to align education with GCC skill needs, while establishing Centres of Excellence in domains like AI, cybersecurity, engineering R&D, and product innovation. Leadership pipelines must also be developed in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities to avoid overconcentration in metros, supported by incentives for reskilling and upskilling through tax benefits and co-investment schemes.
Fourth, national GCC growth should be integrated with initiatives such as Smart Cities and Gati Shakti to promote Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities as alternative hubs. This requires addressing gaps in transport, utilities, and Grade-A office infrastructure, thereby ensuring balanced and inclusive regional growth.
Fifth, GCCs should be encouraged to act as R&D powerhouses for global companies, supported by corporate venture capital arms and innovation linkages with start-ups. Incentives for ESG-led innovation—ranging from green infrastructure to responsible AI adoption—should be built in, ensuring alignment with India’s net-zero commitments and sustainability goals.
Finally, the framework calls for clear performance metrics for job creation, innovation, exports, and regional spread, with feedback loops for continuous policy improvement and adaptive strategies to respond to global market and technology shifts.
“The framework is not just a policy—it is a catalyst for India’s transformation from capability to leadership, from cost efficiency to value creation, and from national strength to global impact,” said CII.
CII also announced that it is in the final stages of preparing a Model State GCC Policy. This will provide a practical template for states to design their own GCC promotion policies, ensuring alignment with the national vision while allowing for state-specific flexibility and innovation. “The Model State Policy will complement the national framework by providing a ready playbook for state governments. Together, they will unlock inclusive, distributed growth across India’s cities and regions,” emphasised CII in the release. The suggested framework for the model state GCC policy would be the key focus of discussion at the GCC Business Summit in Vizag on 17 September.
The implementation of the National GCC Policy framework, alongside the Model State Policy, can double India’s GCC footprint by 2030, position the country as the global headquarters for innovation-driven GCCs, generate 20–25 million jobs, contribute up to $600 billion in economic impact, and make India the world’s premier architect of enterprise innovation.
CII called upon all stakeholders—central and state governments, global enterprises, academia, and start-ups—to collaborate in turning this vision into reality.
15 September 2025
New Delhi