More than half of GCCs in India investing in agentic AI: Report
The EY India GCC Pulse Survey noted that implementation of GenAI has emerged as a top priority for GCCs in India
Global capability centres (GCCs) based in India have moved from AI experimentation to enterprise-scale adoption, with 58% of centres currently investing in Agentic AI and another 29% planning to scale over the next year, according to EY India GCC Pulse Survey 2025.
The survey noted that 83% GCCs are already investing in GenAI, where pilots have increased from 37% last year to 43% as of 2025. The application of GenAI is the highest in customer service (65%), followed by finance (53%), operations (49%), IT and cybersecurity (45%).
The EY India survey noted that 67% are creating dedicated innovation teams and incubation programmes to generate, test and globalise ideas from India.
On the findings, Manoj Marwah, Partner and GCC Sector Leader – Financial Services, EY India said, “Global enterprises are rethinking how they run their operations. They want simpler models, tighter oversight and a place where AI, data and risk teams can operate in sync. Our survey shows that this shift is well underway at GCCs in India.”
He further noted that the combination of talent, cross-functional maturity and a rapidly advancing AI ecosystem is allowing these GCCs to become decision centres for enterprise strategy around risk, new products, digital transformation, etc.
The survey showed that GCCs in India are becoming key collaborators in global decision-making, with over half of India centres (52%) holding shared accountability for global decisions, while another 26% are formally consulted. It said 20% of the centres are on their way to operate with full ownership from India for select functions. Moreover, critical responsibilities are being driven from India GCCs, including global strategy leadership (45%) and leadership pipeline development (35%).
Arindam Sen, Partner and GCC Sector Leader – Technology, Media and Entertainment and Telecommunications, EY India said, “GCCs in India have entered a new chapter. The real shift is that they’re creating innovation arbitrage, beyond just cost advantage. They’re no longer single-function delivery teams, but multi-functional hubs where AI, data and R&D sit alongside core functions like IT, finance and HR.”
The survey said the strategic priorities of leaders at GCCs with regard to operating models over the next 12 months saw digital transformation topping the list followed by reducing costs and expanding functional scope. In terms of budget allocation, GCCs are doubling down most on technology and transformation followed by talent and workforce.
EY also launched its AI-powered Intelligent GCC solution suite, which is aimed at helping companies design AI native GCCs, optimise value chains through autonomous intelligence, build AI-fluent workforce and embed governance with responsible AI.