Half of world’s top 50 life sciences firms now base GCCs in India; here's what's driving the surge

Nearly half of the world’s top 50 life sciences companies have set up Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India, pointing towards the country’s growing role in global pharma and healthcare innovation. According to EY’s latest report, India currently hosts close to 100 life sciences GCCs, a number projected to rise to 160 in the next five years.

The shift shows how India has moved well beyond being a low-cost support base to becoming a hub for high-value, knowledge-intensive work. “Our analysis highlights how India has rapidly evolved from a support base to the very centre of innovation for global pharma and healthcare,” said Arindam Sen, partner and GCC Sector Lead – Technology, Media & Entertainment and Telecommunications, EY India.

He added that the penetration of GCCs in enabling functions such as finance, HR, supply chain and IT has crossed 60% in just five years. “But what truly stands out is the deepening role in core functions – from drug discovery and regulatory affairs to medical and commercial operations. This isn’t about cost arbitrage anymore, it’s about India becoming indispensable to the global R&D pipeline.”

The trend is visible in the way global pharma companies have been restructuring operations. Over the last five years, 23 of the top 50 life sciences firms have entered India, with more than half setting up GCCs during this period, as per the report. These centres now manage integrated functions across the value chain — from clinical trial operations, pharmacovogilance and biostatistics to digital therapeutics and real-world evidence analytics.

Multiple factors are driving India’s leadership.

With over 60% of all global life sciences GCCs based here, India offers both scale and depth unmatched by other regions. The country has one of the largest scientific and medical talent pools, with more than 2.7 million professionals already employed in the life sciences industry and over two million STEM graduates and 110,000 doctors added annually.

Both central and state governments have rolled out GCC-friendly policies, offering incentives such as subsidies, rental reimbursements and fast-track clearances. At the same time, India’s mature ecosystem of startups, contract research organisations and academic institutions gives global firms a collaborative platform for innovation.

The timing is critical for the global pharma sector, which faces a looming $236 billion patent cliff by 2030 and growing pressure to accelerate drug discovery, as per the report. By embedding core R&D capabilities in India, multinationals are positioning themselves to innovate faster and at scale.

As Sen puts it, life sciences multinationals are now embedding their “most strategic, knowledge-intensive work” in India – making the country the epicentre for life sciences innovation, compliance, and future growth.