GCC push will be competitive, political as states play catch-up
BENGALURU: The race to attract global capability centres (GCCs) will intensify across India as states compete not just on incentives but also on political priorities, said Dr. Sasmit Patra, MP and member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT, at the USIBC Bengaluru Summit on June 25.“By 2030, you will have different states openly competing for GCC investments. It’s going to be competitive and political as well,” Patra said. “Karnataka is the leader, but many states aren’t as sensitised to this shift. They will have to adopt policies that match their core competencies, whether in mining, coal or bauxite, if they want to secure a share of this growth.”EV Ramana Reddy, Chairman of the Karnataka Skill Development Authority, said that the state aims to drive GCC expansion beyond its traditional hubs. “We have announced the first dedicated GCC policy in the country. Our goal is 500 more GCCs by 2029-30, adding $50 billion in economic contribution and creating 3.5 lakhs jobs, with at least one‑third of those jobs beyond Bengaluru. We don’t call it tier‑one or tier‑two anymore, we call it ‘beyond Bengaluru’,” he said.Panelists also highlighted the role of digital infrastructure and trust in shaping the next phase of GCC growth. Vyom Upadhyay, Deputy Chief Technology Officer of ICICI Bank, said the data centre boom will be a catalyst. “With strong data security and trust layers, India has a unique opportunity to evolve from a GCC powerhouse to an AI development hub. That’s the trajectory we should be looking at,” he said.The panel concluded that state‑level policies, targeted incentives and digital trust will be critical as the GCC boom spreads beyond traditional hubs. Karnataka, long the state to beat, will have to contend with rising competition as other states finetune their policies and build sector‑specific ecosystems. The shift, panelists said, is both an economic and political test, one that will define India’s role in global GCC and AI landscapes over the coming decade.
