Unilever explores setting up GCC in Hyderabad; holds talks with Telangana delegation at Davos
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Global consumer goods major Unilever is weighing the option of setting up a Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Hyderabad, the Telangana government said on Tuesday.
The possibility was discussed during a meeting between Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Willem Uijen, Unilever’s Chief Supply Chain and Operations Officer, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, where the state government is showcasing Telangana as a global investment destination.
According to an official statement, the Chief Minister highlighted Hyderabad’s rapid transformation into a leading GCC hub, backed by a deep talent pool, robust digital infrastructure and a supportive policy ecosystem. Uijen, in turn, expressed Unilever’s interest in exploring the establishment of a GCC in the city.
State IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu pointed out that Hyderabad already hosts global capability centres of several FMCG giants such as McDonald’s, Heineken and Costco, underscoring the city’s emergence as a key node in global corporate operations.
According to the government, the UAE would partner with Telangana in developing the proposed Bharat Future City on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
UAE's Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri met the Telangana delegation and discussed potential areas of mutual cooperation in the state's large infrastructure projects, especially the Bharat Future City.
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Chief Minister Revanth Reddy outlined the state government's Telangana Rising 2047 vision and the roadmap to transform the state into a USD three trillion economy by 2047, a release said.
He also said global companies like Marubeni and Semcorp are already on-board the project.
Touq Al Marri, known to be a key figure in the UAE's economic diversification and modernisation efforts, said his national government would be happy to join hands with Telangana, the release said.
Google is keen to partner with Telangana in solving agriculture and climate change-related issues, the government said.
In a meeting with Google's APAC (Asia Pacific Area) President Sanjay Gupta, the Chief Minister explained Telangana's Core Urban Region Economy (CURE), Peri Urban Region Economy (PURE), Rural Agriculture Region Economy (RARE) framework for regional economic growth and plans to make core Hyderabad pollution-free.
Gupta committed the organisation's support to Telangana in traffic control, cybersecurity, agriculture, startups and climate change, a release said.
Revanth Reddy and his delegation also met the global leadership of health tech company Royal Philips.
During the meeting, Jan Willem-Scheijgrond, Vice President and Global Head, Government and Public Affairs, Royal Phillips, evinced interest in partnering with the state in the AI space.
The delegation presented the newly launched, dedicated Telangana life sciences policy 2026-30, which aims to grow the sector to a USD 250 billion economy by 2030.
“As part of the state's new economic development strategy under Telangana Rising 2047 vision, the PURE (Peri-Urban Region Economy) between the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and the Regional Ring Road (RRR) of Hyderabad is being developed for manufacturing and logistics," a release quoted CM Revanth Reddy as saying.
Separately, Mohammed Ashif, President and CEO of Saudi-based industrial conglomerate Expertise, expressed strong interest in partnering with the Young India Skills University (YISU) during a meeting with the Chief Minister Revanth Reddy-led delegation.