States race to build India’s next GCC boom

New Delhi: Multiple Indian states, driven largely by their dedicated Global Capability Centre (GCC) policies, are targeting the creation of more than 1.1 million jobs and the establishment of over 1,300 new GCCs by 2031, according to CBRE.

States such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have implemented dedicated GCC policies to attract investment and accelerate sector growth.

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Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has introduced specialised incentives for GCC employees.

Telangana and Delhi have adopted policy frameworks to encourage the development of the GCC ecosystem. Several other states are also exploring policy frameworks for the sector, with Kerala among those that have proposed draft GCC policies.

“The speed at which state governments have moved to formalise dedicated GCC policies is unprecedented in India’s commercial real estate landscape. This reflects a broader recognition that these centres are no longer a peripheral component of India’s services economy, but a central pillar that states are actively competing to host, through targeted incentives, faster approvals and long-term infrastructure commitments,” said Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO - India, South-East Asia, Middle East & Africa, CBRE.

This policy momentum is playing out against the backdrop of sustained real estate demand from these capability centres nationally. According to the report, GCCs have leased over 123million sq. ft. of office space across India’s top nine cities between 2022 and the first six months (H1) of 2026. Their share of total office leasing has also risen steadily from 29% in 2022 to 43% in H1 2026.

Technology (23%), BFSI (22%) and Engineering & Manufacturing (16%) together account for more than 60% of this leasing activity, underscoring the increasing sectoral diversification among GCCs.

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Collectively, states with GCC-focused policy frameworks are targeting the establishment of more than 1,300 new GCCs and the creation of over 1.1 million jobs by 2031.

“State policy frameworks are increasingly translating into real, on-ground real estate demand. As more states introduce dedicated capex support, payroll incentives and faster regulatory clearances, we are seeing this reflected directly in leasing activity. With states continuing to compete on execution speed and infrastructure readiness rather than incentives alone, we expect this policy-led momentum to further strengthen GCC leasing activity across both established and emerging markets in India,” said Ram Chandnani, Managing Director, Leasing Services, India, CBRE.

According to CBRE’s report, India’s GCC leasing growth continues to be driven by six major hubs. Bengaluru emerged as the leading market, recording more than 51 million sq. ft. of cumulative GCC leasing between 2022 and H1 2026, accounting for approximately 42% of the country’s total GCC leasing activity during the period.

Hyderabad ranked second, with over 24 million sq. ft. of GCC leasing, representing about 20% of India’s total GCC leasing between 2022 and H1 2026. Chennai, Delhi-NCR and Pune each recorded more than 13 million sq. ft. of GCC leasing, contributing roughly 10-11% each to the national total.While Mumbai accounted for a relatively smaller share of around 4% of national GCC leasing, at nearly 5 million sq. ft. during the 2022 to H1 2026 period, it stands out as the preferred destination for BFSI occupiers.