The Global GCC Summit 2026 Puts AI, R&D and Digital Innovation at the Centre of India’s GCC Story
The Global GCC Summit 2026 explores how AI, R&D, and digital innovation are transforming India's GCC ecosystem into a $980B economy.
The landscape of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India is undergoing a seismic shift, moving from simple service delivery to becoming the heart of global innovation. This transformation was the central theme at the Global GCC Summit 2026, held at the Hyatt Regency in New Delhi. Organized by the Inductus Group, the summit gathered a massive assembly of over 300 C-suite leaders, 100+ GCC decision-makers, and 30 distinguished speakers to map out the future of India's GCC ecosystem.
Under the ambitious theme, “Architecting India’s Sunrise Era & the Epicentre of the $980B GCC Economy,” the event highlighted how technology is no longer just a tool for these centers, but the very foundation of their existence. Discussions focused heavily on the intersection of AI, data, digital transformation, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity.
From Pilot Projects to Production-Ready AI
A major takeaway from the summit was the evolution of GCCs into sophisticated Centres of Excellence. Rather than just managing legacy systems, these centers are now driving breakthroughs in enterprise AI, large language models (LLMs), AI agents, and industry-specific applications. A critical priority identified by industry leaders is the transition of AI initiatives from experimental pilot phases into full-scale production environments.
The summit featured a high-profile lineup of speakers, including:
- Alouk Kumar, CEO & Managing Director, Inductus Group
- Sangeeta Gupta, Senior Vice President, NASSCOM
- Dr. Kishore Jayaraman, OBE, Group CEO, UK India Business Council
- Mayank Sharma, Google, USA
- Jaya Choraria, Deputy Trade Commissioner, British High Commission
A Global Hub for R&D and Strategic Value
The summit's agenda extended far beyond domestic borders, featuring dedicated regional sessions that highlighted India's strategic importance to the world:
- USA Session: Focused on India's emergence as a global powerhouse for AI, R&D, and advanced technology.
- Japan Dialogue: Explored India's role as an innovation-led global R&D hub and a vital offshore service delivery center.
- EU Session: Discussed the synergy between European technological capabilities and India's massive scale and digital innovation talent.
Alouk Kumar, CEO & Managing Director of Inductus Group, emphasized this shift:
"India’s GCC story is evolving from scale to strategic value creation. With global enterprises increasingly looking at India for technology, innovation, research, talent and business transformation, the next phase of growth will require stronger collaboration between industry, government and the wider ecosystem."
The $980 Billion Economic Opportunity
The economic implications of this evolution are staggering. Currently, India hosts approximately 2,100 GCCs, employing nearly 2.4 million professionals and contributing roughly USD 98.5 billion to the economy. However, projections from Inductus Research suggest a massive trajectory, with the sector expected to reach USD 980 billion by 2040, creating approximately 8 million high-end jobs in the process.
As GCCs move toward strategic business roles, the summit also addressed the critical infrastructure required to support this growth. This includes the expansion of data centers, cloud environments, and the complexities of data sovereignty and localization. Furthermore, cybersecurity has emerged as a top-tier priority for boards of directors worldwide as digital operations scale.
The event also marked the launch of the research book “Irresistible India: A GCC Industry Compendium” and the Irresistible India Awards, which celebrate the key contributors driving India's technological and GCC ecosystem forward.