CII Unveils National Framework For Global Capability Centres

New Delhi: Leading industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Sunday unveiled a proposed National Framework for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), seeking to position India as a globally preferred hub for enterprise innovation, strategy and capability development. The proposed framework, however, is expected to create 20-25 million jobs and contribute up to $600 billion in the economic impact.

The framework for national GCC policy encompasses the setting up of digital economic zones, deepening industry-academia partnerships and establishing a GCC Council for inter-ministerial coordination and centre-state alignment. “The implementation of the national GCC policy framework, alongside the model state policy, can double India's GCC footprint by 2030, and make India the world’s premier architect of enterprise innovation,” the CII said.

The industry body also suggested 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 national GCC growth needs to be integrated with initiatives such as smart cities and Gati Shakti to promote tier-II and tier-III cities as alternative hubs. This requires addressing gaps in transport, utilities, and Grade-A office infrastructure, thereby ensuring balanced and inclusive regional growth,” it said.

Moreover, the industry body also said that 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, suggests the framework,” it suggested.

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. “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,” the CII said.

The CII further said that 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.