Introduction
Setting up a Global Capability Centre (GCC) in India can open up opportunities to access specialised talent, improve operational efficiency, develop technology and build capabilities for global markets. But before a company commits to an Indian entity, hires its first employees or signs an office lease, one question needs a clear answer.
Does establishing a GCC make business sense for the organisation?
For a CFO, the answer depends on the investment, projected operating costs, expected financial benefits and the time required to recover the initial outlay. For a CEO or business leader, the decision also involves talent availability, strategic control, innovation, scalability and the role the centre will play in the company’s long-term plans.
India’s GCC ecosystem offers a substantial foundation for this evaluation. According to JLL’s India GCC Guide 2026, the country had more than 2,000 GCCs employing over 1.9 million professionals, with these centres accounting for 38% of office leasing across India’s top seven cities in 2025. These figures indicate a mature ecosystem, although they do not guarantee that every company’s proposed investment will succeed. A strong business case must go beyond the general advantages of establishing operations in India. It needs to demonstrate how the proposed centre will address a specific business requirement, what it will cost, which outcomes it is expected to deliver and how leadership will measure its success.
This guide explains how to build that business case, from defining the GCC’s purpose to calculating the financial return and planning the implementation.
1. Start by Defining Why Your Company Needs a GCC
Before estimating costs or comparing Indian cities, establish the business problem the proposed GCC is intended to solve.
Companies sometimes approach GCC planning with a location or headcount target already in mind. However, a centre should be designed around the capabilities the business needs, not simply the number of employees it wants to hire.
A useful business case begins with a clearly defined objective.
Common reasons for establishing a GCC
Access to specialised talent
Your company may need engineers, data scientists, cybersecurity professionals, financial analysts or other specialists who are difficult or expensive to recruit in its existing markets.
Improved operating efficiency
The organisation may want to consolidate fragmented processes, reduce duplication or improve service delivery across international business units.
Technology and product development
A GCC can provide the team required to develop software, manage digital platforms, build AI applications or contribute to global product roadmaps.
Greater operational control
Some businesses want direct ownership of critical processes, technology and intellectual property rather than relying entirely on external service providers.
Long-term business expansion
The company may need a new operating hub that can support additional markets, business functions or product lines as it grows.
These objectives can overlap, but they should not be treated as interchangeable. A GCC established primarily for finance operations may require a different workforce, infrastructure and investment profile from one designed for AI research or product engineering.
Define measurable objectives
Turn the business objectives into outcomes that leadership can evaluate.
| Business objective | Potential performance measure |
| Improve cost efficiency | Fully loaded cost per employee or transaction |
| Increase delivery capacity | Workload handled and time required to deliver |
| Improve service quality | Error rates, service-level performance and customer satisfaction |
| Accelerate product development | Release frequency, delivery time and product milestones |
| Build specialised capabilities | Critical roles filled and skills developed |
| Strengthen operational resilience | Recovery readiness and concentration of critical processes |
The selected measures should reflect the centre’s actual mandate. A technology GCC should not be judged solely on cost per employee if its purpose includes product ownership and innovation.
The first deliverable should be a clear statement of the business problem, the proposed GCC’s mandate and the outcomes it is expected to achieve.
2. Evaluate Whether a GCC Is the Right Operating Model
Establishing a wholly owned centre is not the only way to access talent and deliver work from India.
Depending on the company’s objectives, alternatives may include outsourcing, a shared services centre, a managed GCC arrangement or a phased approach that combines internal and external delivery.
Each option has different implications for investment, management responsibility, operational control and scalability.
| Evaluation factor | Owned GCC | Shared services centre | Outsourcing |
| Direct ownership | High in a captive model | Depends on structure | Primarily the provider owns service delivery |
| Initial investment | Can be substantial | Varies by implementation | Often lower infrastructure investment for the client |
| Management responsibility | Primarily internal | Internal or shared | Contract and vendor management |
| Capability development | Suitable for long-term internal capabilities | Strong for centralised processes | Depends on provider scope and agreement |
| Flexibility | Depends on internal hiring and infrastructure | Depends on the service structure | Depends on contract terms and provider capacity |
| Long-term strategic control | Potentially high | Depends on mandate | Depends on contractual rights and retained capabilities |
An owned GCC may be appropriate when the company expects sustained demand, wants to build proprietary capabilities or needs direct control over important work.
Outsourcing may be more suitable when the requirement is temporary, highly specialised or easily defined through service-level agreements.
A shared services centre may be a better starting point when the primary goal is to consolidate common functions across business units.
The business case should compare the alternatives using equivalent assumptions. Comparing the fully loaded cost of an owned GCC with a vendor’s headline service fee, for example, would leave out important expenses on one side of the calculation.
PwC’s framework for establishing GCCs in India recommends evaluating the business model, feasibility, location, organisation design, risks and implementation requirements before moving into execution.
3. Build a Realistic Estimate of GCC Setup Costs
Once the operating model is defined, the next step is to establish the investment required to launch and operate the centre.
A useful financial model separates one-time setup expenses from recurring operating costs. This prevents the initial budget from being confused with the centre’s ongoing financial commitment.
One-time setup costs
These expenses are associated with establishing the operation and preparing it to begin work.
They may include:
- Company incorporation and professional advisory fees
- Legal documentation and initial compliance work
- Recruitment of the founding leadership team
- Initial employee recruitment and onboarding
- Office deposits, fit-outs, furniture and equipment
- Computers, network infrastructure and security systems
- Software implementation and technology integration
- Process migration, training and transition activities
The amounts will vary depending on the legal structure, size of the centre, nature of the work and readiness of the selected premises.
For example, a company moving into a ready-to-use managed office may avoid some upfront fit-out expenses. A business requiring a highly customised facility with specialised infrastructure may need a larger initial investment and a longer implementation period.
Recurring operating costs
These are the expenses the company must fund to keep the GCC operational.
| Cost category | What to include |
| Employee costs | Salaries, bonuses, benefits, employer contributions, training and recruitment |
| Leadership and administration | Local management, finance, HR and administrative support |
| Office occupancy | Rent, maintenance, utilities, facilities and parking |
| Technology | Software licences, cloud services, devices, infrastructure and support |
| Security and compliance | Monitoring, audits, legal advice, insurance and regulatory obligations |
| Business operations | Travel, communication, vendor management and process improvement |
| Contingency | Allowance for unexpected costs, delays and changing requirements |
Employee compensation will often be a major cost driver, particularly for engineering-heavy or research-focused GCCs. However, the relative importance of each category depends on the centre’s size and mandate.
A finance operations centre, for example, will have a different cost profile from an AI research team requiring specialised infrastructure and highly experienced professionals.
Costs that are easy to overlook
A credible business case should also account for expenses that may not appear in the initial setup quotation.
These can include:
- The cost of recruiting employees who are not immediately productive
- Employee attrition and replacement hiring
- Training and knowledge transfer from headquarters
- Travel required for leadership alignment
- Delays in hiring or office readiness
- Technology integration and migration issues
- Currency fluctuations affecting cross-border budgets
- Additional office capacity required during expansion
- The cost of transferring or closing the operation if the strategy changes
The aim is not to inflate the proposed investment. It is to prevent an apparently attractive business case from depending on costs that have simply been left out.
4. Calculate the Total Cost of Ownership
Total cost of ownership (TCO) is the combined cost of establishing, operating and maintaining the GCC over a defined period.
A three-to-five-year period can be useful for comparing operating models, although the appropriate horizon depends on the company’s investment cycle and expected lifespan of the centre.
A basic framework is:
Total cost of ownership = Initial setup costs + Cumulative operating costs + Transition and exit costs
For financial planning, it is useful to separate three components.
Initial investment: The one-time expenses required to establish the centre.
Annual operating expenses: The recurring cost of employees, technology, office occupancy, administration and compliance.
Non-recurring transition expenses: Additional costs incurred when migrating work, changing the operating model, expanding the centre or closing the operation.
The model should also account for the timing of these expenses. An office fit-out may be paid for before the centre begins generating benefits, while recruitment and operating costs may increase gradually as headcount grows.
This matters because a centre that appears profitable on an annual basis may still require substantial funding during its initial months.
Compare like with like
Suppose a company currently pays an outsourcing provider to manage a business process. It wants to compare that arrangement with building an internal GCC team.
The comparison should include the provider’s actual fees and the cost of managing the existing contract. For the GCC, it should include employee costs, technology, management, office space, transition expenses and any services that will still be outsourced.
Both alternatives must deliver comparable service volumes, quality and business outcomes.
Otherwise, the apparent savings could simply reflect a difference in what each option is expected to deliver.
5. Estimate the Financial Benefits
The benefits of a GCC should be quantified wherever possible, but they must be based on realistic assumptions.
A strong business case separates direct financial benefits from strategic benefits that may be more difficult to value.
Direct financial benefits
These may include:
Operating cost differences: The difference between the fully loaded cost of the proposed GCC and the current cost of delivering equivalent work.
Reduced external service fees: Savings from work that can genuinely be brought in-house, after accounting for transition expenses and retained vendor services.
Improved productivity: Lower cost per completed transaction, reduced rework or greater output from a comparable workforce.
Process consolidation: Savings generated by eliminating duplicated activities across departments or business units.
Reduced recruitment or delivery delays: Quantify the financial impact only where a credible baseline exists and the benefit can be attributed to the GCC.
Avoid counting the same benefit more than once. For example, if reduced outsourcing fees already reflect lower operating costs, those same savings should not be added again under productivity improvements.
Strategic benefits
Some benefits may create substantial value without immediately appearing as cash savings.
Examples include:
- Faster development of new products
- Better access to specialised talent
- Stronger ownership of proprietary technology
- Improved cybersecurity and operational resilience
- Greater ability to support global markets
- Better access to data and analytics capabilities
- Reduced dependency on a single external service provider
These benefits should still be measured where possible. A company can track product release times, development milestones, system availability, innovation outcomes and the successful delivery of strategic projects.
However, strategic value should not be presented as guaranteed financial savings unless a defensible method exists to quantify it.
6. Build a Financial Model and Calculate ROI
A business case becomes more useful when the assumptions can be tested in a financial model.
The model should show how much the GCC is expected to cost, what benefits it is expected to generate and when those benefits may exceed the investment.
Key financial metrics
| Metric | What it tells leadership |
| Total cost of ownership | The overall cost of the centre across the selected period |
| Annual net benefit | Financial benefits minus incremental operating costs for a period |
| ROI | The net gain relative to the investment |
| Payback period | How long it takes for cumulative net benefits to recover the initial investment |
| Net present value (NPV) | The value of future cash flows after applying a discount rate |
| Cost per employee or transaction | The efficiency of the proposed operating model |
These measures answer different questions. ROI provides a proportional view of the investment, while payback shows how quickly the initial outlay may be recovered. NPV accounts for the time value of money and is particularly useful when comparing investments with different cash-flow patterns.
The basic ROI formula
For a simplified model:
ROI = (Total financial benefits − Total costs) ÷ Total costs × 100
For example, if a project generates ₹10 crore in cumulative financial benefits against ₹8 crore in cumulative costs, the net gain is ₹2 crore and the simplified ROI is 25%.
This is an illustrative calculation, not a forecast for a GCC. A board-level financial model should use clearly defined cash flows, distinguish operating expenses from capital expenditure, account for the timing of benefits and apply the organisation’s approved financial methodology.
The payback period
The payback period estimates when cumulative net cash benefits recover the initial investment.
If a company invests ₹2 crore upfront and generates ₹50 lakh in net cash benefits each year, with no change in annual benefits, it would recover the initial investment in four years.
In practice, GCC benefits and expenses rarely remain constant. Hiring may be phased, operating costs may rise, and benefits may increase as the centre takes on more work.
For that reason, a year-by-year cash-flow model is generally more useful than a simple payback estimate.
7. An Illustrative GCC Business Case
The following example demonstrates how a company might structure an initial financial assessment.
All figures are hypothetical and are intended to demonstrate the calculation method. They are not market benchmarks, quotations or forecasts for a real company.
Example assumptions
A multinational company is evaluating an Indian GCC to take over selected technology and business operations currently delivered through an external provider.
The company estimates the following:
| Assumption | Illustrative amount |
| One-time setup and transition investment | ₹2 crore |
| Annual recurring GCC operating cost | ₹3 crore |
| Annual comparable cost under the existing model | ₹4 crore |
| Annual direct financial benefit after transition | ₹1 crore |
| Evaluation period | 5 years |
For simplicity, the example assumes that the annual operating cost and comparable financial benefit remain constant after transition, with no additional expansion costs or discounting.
What does the model show?
All amounts in ₹ crore
| Financial measure | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
| Annual comparable cost | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Annual GCC operating cost | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Annual operating benefit | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Initial investment | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cumulative net benefit after investment | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Under these simplified assumptions, the initial ₹2 crore investment is recovered by the end of Year 3.
Over five years, the centre produces ₹5 crore in cumulative operating benefits against ₹2 crore in initial investment, resulting in a net benefit of ₹3 crore before any additional expenses, financing effects or discounting.
The simplified ROI is:
ROI = (₹5 crore − ₹2 crore) ÷ ₹2 crore × 100 = 150%
This calculation uses the initial investment as the denominator and the cumulative operating benefits after the transition as the numerator. A complete business case would separately report the recurring operating expenses, all incremental cash flows and any continuing costs associated with the existing model.
The result is highly sensitive to the assumptions. If the actual savings are lower, hiring takes longer or the centre requires additional investment, the payback period may increase substantially.
This is why the model should be tested under multiple scenarios before a final decision is made.
8. Conduct Scenario and Sensitivity Analysis
A business case should not rely on one optimistic forecast.
Instead, prepare at least three scenarios to show how the financial outcome changes when important assumptions vary.
| Scenario | Assumptions to test | What to examine |
| Conservative | Slower hiring, lower benefits, higher transition costs | Whether the investment remains acceptable under pressure |
| Base case | Most realistic assumptions supported by available evidence | Expected financial performance |
| Upside | Faster ramp-up, stronger productivity or higher realised benefits | Potential additional value, without treating it as guaranteed |
Sensitivity analysis should focus on the variables most likely to affect the outcome.
For a GCC, these may include:
- Time required to recruit the planned workforce
- Salary and employee benefit assumptions
- Office occupancy and fit-out expenses
- The percentage of work that can be transferred successfully
- The timing of productivity improvements
- Employee attrition and replacement hiring
- Technology and compliance costs
- Currency movements and changes in demand
For example, a company might test whether the investment remains viable if the centre reaches its target headcount six months later than planned or if the expected cost advantage narrows.
If the business case only works under the most optimistic assumptions, leadership should reconsider the scope, phasing or operating model before approving the investment.
9. Choose the Right City and Estimate Workplace Costs
Location is a major input into the financial model because it affects office occupancy, talent availability, recruitment costs, commute patterns and the ability to scale.
India’s leading GCC markets include Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi NCR. However, the best location depends on the type of work the centre will perform and the talent it needs to recruit.
JLL’s India GCC Guide 2026 highlights the importance of location selection, including differences in office costs, talent markets and the potential role of emerging cities.
Compare locations using consistent criteria
A useful location scorecard should evaluate:
Talent availability: Can the company recruit the required skills and experience at the planned scale?
Compensation: What are the expected salary ranges for the specific roles, seniority levels and functions?
Office costs: What are the rents, maintenance expenses, deposits and fit-out requirements in the shortlisted micro-markets?
Connectivity: Can employees commute reasonably, and can leaders, clients and visiting teams access the location?
Business ecosystem: Are relevant industry partners, vendors, professional services and technology networks available?
Scalability: Can the company expand the workforce and office footprint without excessive disruption?
Risk: Are there dependencies on a limited talent pool, one building, one vendor or a single location?
Estimate office space requirements
Office planning should be based on the expected workforce and the way employees will use the workplace.
The initial estimate should account for:
- Workstations and desk-sharing assumptions
- Meeting rooms and collaboration areas
- Training rooms and support functions
- IT rooms and other specialised infrastructure
- Employee amenities and circulation space
- Future headcount growth
Usable area and chargeable area are not the same, so property comparisons must use consistent definitions.
The company should also compare traditional leases, managed offices and flexible workspaces where appropriate.
A traditional lease may offer greater control over design and infrastructure but require more upfront investment and preparation. A managed office can reduce the operational burden of preparing and maintaining the premises, while flexible workspace may help a company accommodate an initial team or temporary capacity.
These models should be compared using the full cost of occupancy, the level of security and customisation required, contractual commitments and the expected duration of use.
For an initial GCC, workplace flexibility can be useful when hiring and expansion are uncertain. For a mature operation with specialised infrastructure needs, a dedicated facility may be more suitable.
The objective is to select a workplace strategy that supports the centre’s mandate without locking the company into an unnecessarily expensive or inflexible arrangement.
10. Assess Talent Availability and the Hiring Plan
A financial model is only as reliable as its workforce assumptions.
Companies should identify the roles required to establish the centre, the sequence in which those roles will be hired and the compensation levels needed to attract suitable candidates.
A GCC may require a founding leader, functional heads, HR and finance support, technology infrastructure specialists and the employees who will deliver the core services.
The hiring plan should distinguish between positions required before launch and those that can be added as the centre expands.
Build a role-based workforce plan
For each position, document:
- Role and required skills
- Seniority and experience
- Expected compensation and benefits
- Recruitment lead time
- Expected joining date
- Training and onboarding requirements
- Dependencies on other hires
- Replacement and attrition assumptions
This is particularly important when the centre requires specialised AI, engineering, cybersecurity or research talent.
The availability of a large overall workforce does not guarantee that a particular city can supply the required specialists within the expected timeframe.
Recruitment delays can also affect financial performance. The company may continue paying an external provider while simultaneously incurring setup and hiring expenses, postponing the point at which the GCC begins delivering its intended benefits.
The business case should therefore model the transition period, not just the steady-state operating cost.
11. Evaluate Risks Before Seeking Approval
A credible proposal identifies the conditions that could prevent the GCC from delivering its expected outcomes.
This helps leadership understand not only the potential return but also what must go right for the investment to succeed.
| Risk | Potential impact | Possible mitigation |
| Talent shortages | Delayed hiring and higher compensation | Validate role-level talent availability before choosing a city |
| Recruitment delays | Slower transition and postponed benefits | Phase hiring and create a realistic recruitment plan |
| Higher-than-expected costs | Lower ROI and longer payback | Use scenario analysis and maintain an appropriate contingency |
| Office readiness delays | Disruption to launch plans | Evaluate ready-to-use options and maintain a clear facilities timeline |
| Regulatory or tax issues | Additional costs, delays or compliance exposure | Obtain qualified legal and tax advice |
| Data security incidents | Financial, operational and reputational damage | Establish security controls, access policies and incident response procedures |
| Employee attrition | Replacement costs and knowledge loss | Invest in retention, leadership and career development |
| Weak headquarters alignment | Slow decisions and unclear accountability | Define governance, decision rights and escalation procedures |
| Overdependence on one location | Business continuity exposure | Evaluate resilience and appropriate geographic diversification |
Risk mitigation should be reflected in the financial model wherever it creates additional costs or changes the expected timeline.
For example, a second location may improve resilience but increase management and infrastructure expenses. The business case should explain why that additional investment is justified.
12. Define Governance and Performance Measures
The business case should specify how the company will monitor the centre after approval.
Without clear ownership, a GCC can meet its headcount target while failing to deliver the intended financial or strategic value.
A governance framework should identify the executive sponsor, local leadership, finance owner, functional stakeholders and the people responsible for reviewing performance.
It should also establish the frequency of reviews and the circumstances that would trigger changes to the plan.
Suggested GCC performance measures
Financial performance
- Actual operating costs against budget
- Cost per employee or transaction
- Realised benefits against the approved business case
- Cash-flow performance and payback progress
Operational performance
- Service-level achievement
- Process accuracy and quality
- Productivity and delivery times
- System availability and business continuity readiness
Talent performance
- Time to fill critical positions
- Employee attrition and retention
- Training and skill development
- Leadership and succession readiness
Strategic performance
- Product or technology milestones achieved
- New capabilities established
- Process improvements delivered
- Contribution to global business priorities
The company should establish baselines before the transition wherever possible. Without a reliable baseline, it becomes difficult to demonstrate whether the GCC has improved performance.
Reviews should also compare actual results with the original assumptions. If costs are higher or benefits are delayed, leadership should understand why and decide whether the operating plan needs to change.
13. Create a Practical GCC Setup Roadmap
Once the financial and strategic case has been evaluated, translate the proposal into an implementation plan.
The roadmap should identify the key decisions, dependencies, owners and approval milestones.
Phase 1: Strategic assessment
Define the centre’s purpose, functions, target outcomes and preferred operating model. Identify the work that will move to India and the work that will remain elsewhere.
Phase 2: Feasibility and business case
Validate talent availability, compare potential locations, estimate setup and operating costs, evaluate alternatives and prepare financial scenarios.
Phase 3: Operating model and entity planning
Determine the proposed legal structure, governance arrangements, leadership responsibilities and compliance requirements with qualified advisers.
Phase 4: Location and workplace selection
Shortlist cities and business districts, compare office models, validate building requirements and assess the timeline for making the premises operational.
Phase 5: Recruitment and technology readiness
Recruit the founding team, prepare the technology environment, establish security controls and document the processes that will move to the centre.
Phase 6: Transition and launch
Transfer work in manageable stages, validate service quality, resolve operational issues and ensure the centre is ready to perform its responsibilities.
Phase 7: Performance review and optimisation
Compare actual results with the approved business case, review risks and identify opportunities to improve productivity, expand capabilities or adjust the operating model.
The timing of each phase depends on the centre’s size, complexity, legal structure, hiring requirements and workplace arrangements. A small initial operation using a suitable ready-to-use office may follow a different schedule from a large facility requiring extensive fit-outs and specialised infrastructure.
The roadmap should therefore be built around actual dependencies rather than an arbitrary launch date.
14. What Should the Final Business Case Include?
Before presenting the proposal to senior leadership, bring the analysis together in a concise document that makes the decision clear.
A decision-ready business case should include:
- Executive summary: The proposed investment, business need, expected outcomes and recommendation.
- Strategic rationale: Why the company needs a GCC and why India is being considered.
- Operating-model assessment: Comparison of an owned GCC with relevant alternatives.
- Scope and mandate: The functions, capabilities and responsibilities assigned to the centre.
- Location analysis: Evidence supporting the preferred city and micro-market.
- Workforce plan: Required roles, recruitment sequence and compensation assumptions.
- Financial model: Initial investment, recurring costs, benefits, ROI, payback and cash-flow projections.
- Scenario analysis: Conservative, base and upside cases with the main assumptions disclosed.
- Risk assessment: Major risks, mitigation measures and accountable owners.
- Implementation roadmap: Milestones, dependencies, resource requirements and governance.
- Performance framework: KPIs and the process for tracking actual outcomes against the business case.
- Approval request: The decision leadership needs to make, including any conditions or staged approvals.
The strongest proposals are transparent about uncertainty. They distinguish verified facts from estimates, explain how assumptions were developed and show which variables could materially change the result.
Where the investment is significant, finance, legal, tax, HR, technology, security and workplace teams should review the relevant parts before the proposal is submitted for approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do you build a business case for setting up a GCC in India?
Start by defining the business need and the capabilities the centre will deliver. Compare an owned GCC with alternatives, estimate setup and operating costs, evaluate talent and location requirements, quantify expected benefits, calculate financial returns and test different scenarios. The proposal should also include risks, governance, an implementation roadmap and measurable performance indicators.
2. How much does it cost to set up a GCC in India?
There is no single reliable cost for every GCC. The investment depends on headcount, job profiles, location, legal structure, technology requirements, office model and the extent of customisation required. A credible estimate should separate one-time setup expenses from recurring operating costs and disclose the assumptions used.
3. What is a good ROI for a GCC?
There is no universal ROI threshold that makes every GCC investment worthwhile. The acceptable return depends on the organisation’s investment criteria, risk tolerance, strategic objectives and available alternatives. Leadership should evaluate ROI alongside payback, NPV, operational benefits and the centre’s contribution to long-term capabilities.
4. How long does it take for a GCC to become financially beneficial?
The timeline depends on initial investment, hiring speed, transition costs, the scale of operations and the time needed to realise benefits. A centre may incur substantial expenses before reaching its planned capacity. Financial modelling should therefore include a ramp-up period rather than assuming full benefits from the first month.
5. Which Indian city should a company choose for its GCC?
The best city depends on the centre’s functions, talent requirements, budget, infrastructure and expansion plans. Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi NCR are major markets to evaluate, while some Tier II cities may suit specific operating models. Companies should compare individual business districts rather than making the decision solely at the city level.
6. Should a company use a managed office for its initial GCC?
A managed office can be useful when a company wants a ready-to-use or customised workplace without independently managing every part of the facility. It may help reduce the initial infrastructure burden, but the company should assess the full occupancy cost, security arrangements, customisation, contract terms and future expansion requirements.
7. What are the biggest risks in a GCC business case?
Common risks include unrealistic savings assumptions, recruitment delays, underestimated setup costs, weak headquarters alignment, compliance gaps and insufficient planning for future growth. Scenario analysis, detailed workforce planning, appropriate professional advice and regular performance reviews can help address these risks.
Final Thoughts
A GCC business case should demonstrate more than why India is an attractive business destination. It should explain why the proposed centre makes sense for the company, what it will cost to establish, which outcomes it is expected to deliver and how those outcomes will be measured.
The process begins with a clear business need, followed by an honest comparison of operating models, a realistic financial assessment and careful evaluation of talent, location, infrastructure and risk.
Just as importantly, the business case should remain useful after approval. By comparing actual performance with the original assumptions, leadership can identify gaps, adjust the implementation plan and ensure the centre continues to support the organisation’s objectives.
For companies planning their next steps, workplace strategy deserves attention early in the process. Office costs, infrastructure readiness, employee experience and the ability to expand can all influence the overall investment.
Explore Flexo’s complete guide to setting up a GCC in India for a broader look at establishment considerations, location selection and workplace planning.
