Services · India

    GCC setup in India, without building everything yourself on day one

    A global capability centre (GCC) is a company's own long-term team in India, working under its brand on its products and operations. AMT sets up and runs capability centres in Bengaluru and Kochi, so you get your own team without first having to hire a country manager, lease offices and build HR, IT and security from scratch.

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    What a GCC is

    A global capability centre is an offshore unit owned by or dedicated to one company, doing that company's own work, from engineering and product to data and operations. It is not a vendor working for many clients. India has more than 1,700 GCCs employing over 1.9 million people, according to figures the Indian government gave Parliament in August 2025.

    GCC and offshore development centre (ODC) are often used for the same idea. The difference is ownership and brand: a GCC is your team, under your name, for the long term.

    Four ways to get a capability centre in India

    Four ways to get a capability centre in India
    ModelHow it worksTime to first engineersYour controlYour setup effort
    Start with a dedicated teamAMT builds a squad that works only for you, then it grows into a centreFastestDirection, not operationsLowest
    Managed centre with AMTYour branded team inside AMT's offices, HR, IT and securityFastDirection and cultureLow
    Build, operate, transferAMT sets up and runs the centre, then transfers it to your own entity at an agreed pointModerateFull, after transferModerate
    Fully captiveYou register an entity, lease offices and hire everyone yourselfSlowestFull from day oneHighest

    Unless you already run teams in India, start with the first or second model and decide on transfer once the centre has proved itself.

    Setup roadmap

    Setup roadmap
    PhaseWhat happensYou decide
    1. ScopeWhat the centre will own, roles, year-one size, success measuresThe mandate
    2. LocationBengaluru, Kochi or both, based on roles and hiring plansThe city
    3. TeamFirst hires, starting with the technical leadsWho leads
    4. Workplace and securitySeats, devices, network, access controls under ISO 27001:2022Security requirements
    5. OperateRituals, reporting, performance, culture under your brandHow it runs with your teams
    6. Grow or transferAdd squads, functions or move to your own entityWhen and how

    Bengaluru or Kochi?

    AMT has offices in both. Bengaluru is India's largest technology hub, with the deepest pool of specialist engineers. Kochi is where AMT opened its development centre in 2007. Many centres use both: specialists in one, a larger delivery team in the other. We will tell you which suits your roles.

    Signs it is time for a capability centre

    • You have used an outsourced or dedicated team for a year or more and want it under your brand.
    • You expect to need a large team in India for years, not months.
    • You want engineers who think of themselves as your employees.
    • Your security or IP rules make a multi-client vendor hard to approve.

    How it connects to the rest of AMT

    A dedicated team is often how a centre starts. When a team has run for a year or more and you want it under your own brand, it can move into a capability centre. See Dedicated development teams and the switch between models on Engagement models. Security controls are on Security.

    What drives the cost

    We quote after scoping. Pricing is setup plus a monthly running cost.

    What drives the cost
    DriverWhat changes the price
    Year-one headcountNumber of roles and how fast they are hired
    Role mixEngineering, data, QA, DevOps, product, support
    SeniorityShare of leads and senior specialists
    ModelManaged centre, build-operate-transfer or captive
    WorkplaceDedicated floor, branded space, security requirements
    CityBengaluru, Kochi or both

    FAQ

    What is a global capability centre?

    A company's own long-term offshore unit, such as a team in India, that does its own engineering, product, data or operations work under its brand, rather than a vendor serving many clients.

    How many GCCs are there in India?

    More than 1,700, employing over 1.9 million people, according to figures the Indian government gave Parliament in August 2025.

    How do you set up a GCC in India?

    Define the mandate and year-one size, choose the city, hire technical leads first, set up the workplace and security, then operate and grow. With AMT you can start with a dedicated team or a managed centre instead of building an entity first.

    What is the difference between a GCC and an offshore development centre?

    The terms overlap. A GCC is usually your own branded, long-term unit. An offshore development centre is often a dedicated team run by a vendor.

    What is build, operate, transfer?

    A model where a partner sets up and runs the centre, then transfers it to your own legal entity at an agreed point.

    How long does it take to set up a GCC?

    Starting with a dedicated or managed team is the fastest way to have engineers working. A fully captive centre takes longest because you build the entity, offices and functions yourself.

    Tell us what the centre should do, how many people you expect in year one, and your timeline.

    Comparing the full cost of a team in India? →