India’s global capability centres (GCCs) are increasingly shaping the way the world’s biggest retail and consumer goods companies operate — from deciding what products line supermarket shelves in the United States to influencing what new categories are launched in Europe.
This marks a major evolution for India’s GCC ecosystem, which has traditionally served technology and banking clients but is now playing a strategic role in driving the global retail industry’s digital transformation.
Industry experts say the surge in artificial intelligence (AI)-based demand forecasting, data analytics, and process automation has prompted multinational retailers and consumer goods firms to expand their India-based GCC networks.
Companies such as Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and Reckitt have set up new centres in India, while retail chains, including American players Target and Albertsons, already run large-scale operations from the country.
GCCs are offshore units set up by multinational corporations to centralise and manage a range of functions — from technology development and financial operations to supply chain management and data science. Over the years, these centres have evolved from back-office support hubs into high-value innovation engines that contribute directly to global decision-making.
“The retail and capital goods GCCs have been pioneers in leveraging India’s vast potential in advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and digital twin simulations to help global retailers reimagine every part of their value chain, from product design to shelf execution,” said Rajesh Ojha, partner and GCC market segment leader at PwC India.
“Over the next five years, retail and CPG GCCs will emerge as the digital command centres of multinational consumer companies. They will not only forecast demand but also simulate the impact of pricing, promotions, and sustainability initiatives through digital twin environments.”
Across Bengaluru and Hyderabad, many GCCs are using AI tools to analyse live sales data and anticipate shifts in consumer demand. These systems process real-time information from stores worldwide, helping companies adjust inventory, tweak product assortments, and fine-tune marketing strategies almost instantly.
A report by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in July estimated that India hosts around 1,800 GCCs. Of these, about 20 percent cater to technology firms, another 20 percent to the banking and financial services industry, while the automotive sector accounts for roughly 17 percent. Retail and consumer goods companies make up around 15 percent of the GCC base, a share that is expected to grow sharply over the next few years.
“India’s GCCs today are deeply embedded across core capabilities such as supply chain, sales, marketing, and digital engineering, where they are driving and supporting critical operations,” said Keerthi Kumar, partner at Deloitte India. “By centralising and optimising these functions, GCCs deliver efficiency through automation, agility through real-time data and AI-driven forecasting, and faster, insight-led decision-making.”
With retail markets worldwide becoming more dynamic and data-intensive, experts say India’s GCCs are emerging as the backbone of this transformation in the backdrop of an AI-powered ecosystem — one that is quietly shaping global retail decisions from the heart of India’s technology hubs.
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