India Emerges as GCC Hub for Retail Giants

India has emerged as the leading destination for Global Capability Centres (GCCs) of retail and FMCG companies. According to TeamLease Digital, the country had 180 retail GCCs by the end of last year, which is 34% more than the combined total in Poland, the Philippines, Mexico, Germany, and Egypt. Global giants such as Walmart Global Tech, Target, L'Oréal, AB InBev, and Tesco have already established GCCs in India.

Employment in India's retail and FMCG GCCs has also witnessed remarkable growth. The workforce reached 272,300 employees by the end of last year, with 52,000 new jobs added during the year. Compared to 2024, the total number of employees has nearly doubled. Experts attribute this growth to India's skilled talent pool, supportive government policies, tax incentives, and lower operational costs.

Japan and South Korea are also showing increasing interest in setting up GCCs in India. Out of the 180 GCCs, 130 are nano GCCs, initially employing around 200–250 professionals before expanding operations. Most of these centres are located in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Pune, Hyderabad, and emerging Tier 2 cities. However, the report highlights a shortage of experienced AI professionals, with only 320 experts having more than eight years of AI experience across all retail GCCs.