Karnataka is the Epicentre of Mid-Market GCCs, Maturing Faster than Peers: Zinnov-KDEM Study Bengaluru accounts for nearly half of India's mid-market GCCs, with over 74,000 professionals driving AI, Cloud, and Cybersecurity mandates for global enterprises
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Karnataka is the epicentre of India's mid-market global capability centres (GCC) growth, with the state housing over 50 per cent of the 480 centres, of which over 230 are mid-market GCCs employing over 74,000 professionals, according to a report by Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), in collaboration with Zinnov.
These centers are not just expanding faster; they are maturing 1.4 times quicker than larger peers, embracing product ownership, CXO-level leadership, and embedding AI-first strategies, the report stated.
Mid-market GCCs refer to capability centres established by mid-sized enterprises with annual global revenues typically ranging between USD 100 million to USD 1 billion. Mid-market GCCs focus on delivering high-value, specialised services while maintaining a leaner operational model compared to larger GCCs
Mid-market GCCs now represent 27 per cent of India's total GCC ecosystem, and Karnataka continues to attract a disproportionate share of new setups, with nearly 50 per cent of all new mid-market GCCs in India since 2023 established in the state.
Backed by India's first dedicated GCC Policy, progressive talent and skilling initiatives, and the transformative 'Beyond Bengaluru' program, Karnataka provides access to world-class talent within a policy framework that blends speed, cost efficiency, and ecosystem depth reinforcing its position as the global launchpad for lean, high-impact innovation.
Announcing the findings, B.V. Naidu, Chairman, KDEM, said, "Karnataka is not just a hub, it is the backbone of India's global innovation leadership. Hosting nearly half of India's 480+ mid-market GCCs and 74,000+ professionals, our state is setting the benchmark for lean, high-impact innovation. These GCCs are redefining success with agility, talent density, AI-first mandates, global product ownership, and CXO-level leadership."
"Through India's first GCC Policy and the 'Beyond Bengaluru' initiative, we are driving balanced, inclusive growth by unlocking the potential of emerging cluster cities making Karnataka the preferred destination for global enterprises and a strategic engine for India's digital nation-building journey," Naidu added.
Commenting on the study, Pari Natarajan, CEO and Co-Founder, Zinnov, said, "Mid-market GCCs are rewriting the rules of global capability building. In Karnataka, more than 40 per cent of these centres are already driving end-to-end product ownership and CXO-level mandates—a level of maturity that traditionally took a decade to achieve. What's striking is that this acceleration is happening in just three to five years, signalling not only the quality of talent but also the depth of ecosystem integration here."
Looking ahead, as India's GCC sector moves towards a USD 100 billion opportunity by 2030, Karnataka's mid-market GCCs will be its sharpest growth lever—pioneering innovation in AI, cybersecurity, and cloud-native products while creating leadership pathways for Indian talent on a global scale. This is more than a Karnataka story; it is the India story of the next decade—where lean, high-impact centres in Bengaluru and beyond become the launchpads for the world's next wave of digital reinvention.
