Over 32% Of Global GCC Talent Is Currently In India: FM Sitharaman

India has become a global leader in AI and STEM talent, housing 32% of the global Global Capability Centre (GCC) workforce, 28% of the world’s STEM professionals, and 23% of software engineering talent, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday.

Speaking at the CII GCC Business Summit 2025, she highlighted India’s growing role as a global talent engine.

Sitharaman said India boasts among the highest penetration of AI skills globally, supported by an expanded higher education infrastructure.

The past decade has seen the establishment of 7 new IITs and 16 new IIITs, leading to a significant boost in skilled manpower. She noted that 42.7% of STEM graduates in India are women, a critical statistic as 35% of the GCC workforce is female.

India’s GCC landscape sees rapid growth

India’s GCCs have reached a pivotal phase, shifting from back-office roles to strategic innovation and leadership centres, the Finance Minister observed.

From 1985 to 2015, it took three decades to establish the first 1,000 GCCs. In contrast, 800 more have been launched in the past ten years, bringing the total to 1,800 centres employing 2.16 million professionals.

These GCCs contribute $68 billion to India’s GDP, with projections placing this at $150–200 billion by 2030. More than 50% of Fortune 500 companies now operate GCCs in India, drawn by skilled talent, cost-effectiveness, and a mature ecosystem.

Over 1.6 crore youth have been trained through the PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana, underlining the government’s focus on future-ready skills.

“We are not just preparing for the future; we are building it,” Sitharaman declared.

Policy push and investment in smaller cities encouraged

The Finance Minister assured that government policies support GCCs through faster approvals, tax certainty, and integrated administrative support. She encouraged investments in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, citing GIFT City as a model of regulatory ease and global integration.

Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General of CII, also praised the government’s role in making GCCs a national priority. He reaffirmed CII’s commitment to ensuring India leads not just in scale, but also in value, innovation, and strategic capability.

Earlier, Sunil Barthwal, Secretary, Department of Commerce, said free trade agreements (FTAs) now play a critical role in GCC growth, especially with services becoming more crucial than manufacturing in global trade.

He further pointed to the India-UK FTA, which includes a chapter on innovation, as a model for creating harmonised institutional frameworks.

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