Japanese enterprises have emerged as the largest contributor to the growth of global capability centres (GCC) in India, according to a Deloitte India report. Japan already has over 100 centres established in India, said the report, India’s strategic GCC play for Japanese enterprises.
As digital and engineering mandates scale up, GCCs will unlock an estimated $470-600 billion in economic impact by 2029-30 (FY30), contribute up to 2.8 per cent to gross domestic product (GDP), and create millions of high-skilled jobs — positioning India at the centre of global capability networks.
These centres are rapidly evolving into strategic hubs for engineering, digital transformation, and product innovation, spanning areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), embedded systems, cloud, advanced analytics and digital manufacturing, said the report.
“India and Japan are entering a new phase of economic collaboration anchored in innovation, technology, and long-term value creation. As Japanese enterprises expand their global capability networks, India is emerging as a strategic hub for Japan that combines scale, engineering talent, and digital expertise,” said Rohan Lobo, partner and GCC industry leader, Deloitte India.
The report highlights a fundamental shift in the role of GCCs, from back-office support functions to multidisciplinary centres of excellence driving end-to-end product development, innovation, and enterprise resilience. This shift is further reinforced by Japan’s need to address demographic challenges, while accelerating digital transformation through access to India’s deep STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) talent pool.
Deloitte India Partner Keerthi Kumar said, “Japanese GCCs in India reflect a strong sectoral focus on engineering-led industries, with technology (20 per cent), industrials (15 per cent) and automotive and healthcare (11 per cent each) forming the core of the footprint. This highlights how Japanese companies are tapping into the Indian engineering ecosystem that goes beyond talent and symbiotically. India is expected to benefit from world-renowned Japanese engineering practices.”
The next phase of GCC growth is increasingly extending as cities such as Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Kochi, and Indore are gaining traction. Cost competitiveness, specialised talent pools, and supportive state policies are emerging as key enablers of this expansion.
Strong India-Japan bilateral momentum, including the JPY10 trillion (about $68 billion) investment commitment, digital partnership initiatives and industrial collaboration frameworks, are accelerating GCC expansion, the report said.