GCC Expansion Drives 1.7 Million New Jobs and Reshapes India's Office Market

India’s office market is increasingly being shaped by companies that, until a few years ago, were largely seen as backend support operations. Across NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune, global capability centres, or GCCs, are driving a growing share of commercial leasing activity, altering workplace design preferences, and, in several micro-markets, influencing residential absorption as well.

According to data compiled by Bengaluru-based consultancy Wizmatic, multinational IT, ITeS, and ER&D operations in India have added nearly 1.7 million jobs since FY20, taking total employment to around 4.2 million. The consultancy estimates exports from these centres touched nearly $153 billion in FY25 and could rise further to around $164 billion in FY26.

In several office corridors, especially in NCR and Bengaluru, GCC occupiers are now being viewed as more stable long-term tenants than conventional outsourcing firms. A recent CBRE India market assessment noted that GCC occupiers continued to account for a substantial share of Grade A office leasing across India’s top cities during 2025, with increasing traction visible in NCR and emerging peripheral business districts.

The GCC-led expansion across NCR is gradually bringing newer cities like Faridabad into sharper focus. With infrastructure upgrades such as the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, FNG corridor, and metro connectivity improving accessibility, Faridabad is emerging as a strong prospective destination for MNCs, IT/ITeS firms, and organised businesses looking beyond saturated office markets for better value and long-term scalability. While the city currently houses smaller divisions and backend operations of several established companies alongside traditional businesses, the evolving infrastructure and improving urban ecosystem are steadily strengthening its appeal as a future-ready corporate and commercial hub. This shift is already visible in the growing demand for organised commercial developments and premium residential projects, said Uddhav Poddar, CMD, Bhumika Group.

At the commercial level, the impact is becoming increasingly visible in long-term office space demand. Companies operating within GCC ecosystems are showing stronger preference for organised regions where office, retail, and residential infrastructure function together. This shift reflects a stronger focus on long-term operational planning, employee convenience, and ecosystem-driven growth. As a result, established business corridors with organised urban infrastructure are witnessing heightened demand and stronger occupier confidence, said Sanchit Bhutani, Managing Director, Group 108.

What has also surprised the market is the scale of expansion. For commercial real estate players, the distinction is not academic. It materially changes long-term demand projections for office stock across major urban centres.

There is clearly a structural shift underway in how multinational firms are using India. Earlier expansion cycles were largely execution-oriented and heavily cost-driven. Today many GCCs are handling product ownership, analytics, compliance, and strategic technology functions. Once operations move up the value chain, the occupier’s commitment to physical infrastructure also becomes deeper. Developers are therefore planning more flexible and amenity-rich office environments because tenant expectations are evolving rapidly, said Kapil Chugh, VP Sales, Rise Infraventures Limited.

Knight Frank India, in a recent office market update, also observed that occupier interest from global firms is spreading into newer business districts where infrastructure quality and connectivity have improved over the last five years.

What developers are witnessing now is not merely another leasing cycle. GCC expansion is gradually influencing how urban business districts are being designed and monetised. Occupiers are seeking continuity, ecosystem depth, and future scalability rather than isolated office assets. That has implications not only for commercial development but also for residential planning, retail integration, and city-level infrastructure priorities, said Mohit Batra, Regional Director, Realistic Realtors.

The office market has seen technology cycles before. What feels different this time is that the demand is increasingly tied to long-duration operational commitments rather than short outsourcing contracts. Developers are already planning around that assumption. Whether AI eventually compresses headcount or not, the physical footprint of India’s GCC economy still appears to be expanding faster than most expected.