Eastern India set to lead next-gen global capability centers: EY
KOLKATA, INDIA — Eastern India, with Kolkata at its core, is emerging as a strategic hub for global capability centers (GCCs) as companies shift from scale-driven operations to intelligence-led models.
According to a report by Ernst & Young, the region is poised to play a critical role in India’s next wave of GCC growth, driven by advanced IT, analytics, and engineering talent.
“Eastern India is steadily strengthening its position in India’s GCC ecosystem as enterprises look beyond scale and toward intelligence-led capabilities,” noted the EY India assessment of the region’s GCC landscape.
Kolkata’s GCC base and sector mix deepen
Over 20 GCCs currently operate in Eastern India, with more than half headquartered in the United States and Europe. The diversity in origin and scale, from lean teams to centers employing several hundred professionals, underscores Kolkata’s growing importance in global delivery strategies.
The sectoral footprint is equally diverse. Telecommunications, specialty chemicals, healthcare, financial services, electronics, e-commerce, and automotive firms all have a presence in the region.
EY India’s report highlights that Kolkata’s expanding IT and ITeS talent base is enabling GCCs to take on more complex, enterprise-critical mandates.
“Kolkata’s growing talent depth in IT, analytics and engineering is enabling GCCs to take on more complex, enterprise-critical mandates,” the report stated.
This capability expansion signals a broader shift in how GCCs are structured. No longer confined to cost-led delivery, centers in Eastern India are increasingly adopting intelligence-driven models powered by AI, automation, and data analytics.
Eastern India’s GCC ecosystem needs next-wave readiness
Despite its growing potential, experts caution that Eastern India must continue strengthening its talent pipelines and ecosystem readiness to attract the next wave of GCC investments.
The EY report recommends clearer differentiation in areas such as analytics, data engineering, and AI adoption, alongside industry-specific Centers of Excellence in BFSI, telecom, and healthcare.
The region would also benefit from streamlined setup processes, talent maps, and plug-and-play office infrastructure.
“Targeted industry–academia programs in data, AI adoption, product engineering and risk can strengthen Kolkata’s talent ecosystem for GCCs and improve access to tech talent in India,” EY India emphasized.
Analysts say these steps could cement Kolkata’s role as a preferred destination for capability-led GCCs, not just in India but globally.
The growth of Eastern India in the outsourcing and GCC sector is indicative of a wider trend: firms are progressively considering intelligence, innovation, and specialized skills as their main criteria to choose over the scale.
When companies are shifting their operations, areas such as Kolkata are turning out to be important powerhouses of worldwide operational strategies, having a mix of the depth of talent and the ability to carry out complicated and transformative projects.
