Over the past few years, India has shifted from a low-cost delivery location to a strategic hub for global life sciences companies. With 23 of the world’s top 50 life sciences companies already operating Global Capability Centres in India, the country’s role has expanded far beyond shared services — becoming a base for digital R&D, regulatory operations, and commercial strategy.
What’s driving this momentum is the diversity of work now being managed from Indian GCCs — spanning digital therapeutics, regulatory science, real-world evidence (RWE), clinical data management, and even manufacturing analytics. As of FY2024, the Indian GCC market which includes companies from technology, banking, automotive, healthcare, and life sciences sectors, among others was valued at US$ 64.6 billion and is projected to grow to US$ 99–105 billion by 2030. According to PwC India, GCCs in India are expected to generate value for their global headquarters at a weighted-average CAGR of ~11–12% during FY25–29.
Building on this momentum, global companies are now making significant long-term investments to expand their India GCC operations — not just for cost efficiency, but for innovation and strategic value creation.
• Sanofi announced a ~$437M expansion of its Hyderabad GCC to scale to ~2,600 people by 2026.
• Amgen has leased ~500,000 sq. ft. of space in Hyderabad for a technology and innovation centre.
• Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) invested ~$100M in a global innovation hub in Hyderabad.
• Lubrizol opened a new GCC in Pune focused on technology and R&D.
• Pfizer opened a data centre recently in Mumbai.
• Illumina launched its capability centre in Bengaluru in early 2025.
• Johnson & Johnson announced a new GCC in Hyderabad recently.
Healthcare and life sciences together account for more than 15% of all GCC employees in India— a sign that global companies are moving beyond digital and data functions to establish centres focused on research, regulatory science, and manufacturing integration. These next-generation GCCs are bridging global innovation with India’s expanding scientific and operational capabilities.
• Eli Lilly, for instance, recently opened its GCC in Hyderabad and followed it with a $1 billion investment in contract manufacturing in the same city — a clear sign of how GCCs are becoming gateways to local R&D and production. Amgen has also expressed interest in establishing R&D and manufacturing operations after launching its GCC, and others are expected to follow.
• Indian clusters host world-class CDMOs and CROs — like Syngene, Sai Life Sciences, and Eurofins — enabling companies to co-design, pilot, and scale drug substance and formulation work locally. Genome Valley and other clusters already offer integrated R&D-to-manufacturing pathways with industrial lab facilities.
India continues to be one of the most cost-effective destinations for life sciences R&D and operations. According to fDi Intelligence benchmarking, the yearly cost of running a 50-person R&D hub in India (3000 m²) is around US$902,567 in Hyderabad — which is roughly one-fifth to one-seventh the cost of a similar hub in developed locations such as Cambridge UK (US$4.48 m) or Boston US (US$7.57 m) and half the cost of their closest Chinese competitors, Wuxi ($1,626,101) and Suzhou ($1,679,679).
India’s workforce remains one of its strongest assets. The country is home to over 2.7 million life sciences professionals, supported by an annual pipeline of 2 million STEM graduates and 110,000+ medical graduates, according to an EY report. This unique blend of scientific, engineering, and medical talent gives GCCs in India an unmatched advantage for digital R&D, data analytics, and regulatory science.
India’s R&D landscape is anchored by mature life sciences clusters such as Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Bengaluru which together host various life sciences companies. Genome Valley alone houses over 200 life sciences firms. India also has a robust regulatory base with 670+ USFDA-approved and 2,000+ WHO-GMP-certified facilities providing global-quality manufacturing and testing infrastructure. These clusters encourage co-location of academia, startups, and industry — enabling faster collaboration, innovation, and commercialization.
Both the central and state governments have recognized GCCs as engines of high-value exports and skilled employment. Policies have eased FDI norms and introduced single-window clearances to accelerate setup. States such as Karnataka and Telangana lead with capital subsidies, rental reimbursements, skilling programs, and land rebates to attract R&D and GCC investments.
According to EY, this proactive policy framework has positioned India among the most competitive global destinations for GCC expansion.
As India’s life sciences sector moves up the global value chain, the conversation is shifting from talent and cost advantage to capability and infrastructure readiness. The next leap will depend on how rapidly our built environments evolve — from generic offices to purpose-designed campuses that can support high-value science, digital innovation, and local manufacturing integration.
– Hybrid campuses combining tech and science floors
Controlled environments for equipment, vibration-free zones for analytics, and high-density IT floors for AI teams — all within the same biosciences’ campus.
– Shared infrastructure & services
Centralized utilities and waste management allow companies to operate regulated labs efficiently. This is driving demand for warm-shell lab space for lease and research lab space in India that’s compliance-ready.
– Ecosystem integration & co-location
Proximity to CROs, CDMOs, and regulatory clusters enables faster tech transfers and collaboration. Clusters offering laboratory space for rent in Hyderabad or biotech lab space in Mumbai provide the ecosystem depth global players look for.
These advantages have driven strong interest in lab space for rent in India, especially lab space in Genome Valley Hyderabad and life sciences lab space in Mumbai, both of which are emerging as top destinations for global biotech expansion.
Conclusion
Life Sciences GCCs are evolving beyond their traditional support roles to become strategic hubs that drive drug development, manufacturing, digital transformation, and local supply resilience. As India’s life sciences ecosystem continues to mature, companies benefit from faster innovation cycles, reduced risk, and scalable growth — reinforcing India’s position as a global life sciences backbone.
