India has firmly positioned itself as a global hub for life sciences Global Capability Centres (GCCs), reflecting the country’s growing importance in global pharmaceutical innovation and value creation. According to an EY report titled “Reimagining Life Sciences Global Capability Centres (GCCs)”, India’s dominance in this field has significantly accelerated over the past five years, with 23 of the top 50 global life sciences companies establishing their GCCs in India. In total, around 25 global life sciences players now operate through GCCs in India, underlining the country’s strategic importance in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and biotech innovation.

India’s leadership in functional roles

The report highlights the transformation of GCCs beyond simple support functions. Life sciences GCCs in India now manage 70% of finance operations, 75% of Human Resources (HR) activities, 62% of supply chain operations, and 67% of IT functions for their global parent organisations. This evolution from back-office operations to end-to-end enterprise enablers underscores the trust multinational corporations place in India’s talent ecosystem.

Driving innovation in life sciences

More importantly, India’s GCCs are now becoming strategic innovation partners, leading global mandates in areas such as:

• Drug discovery and development

• Regulatory affairs and medical affairs

• Pharmacovigilance (drug safety monitoring)

• Digital therapeutics

• Real-world evidence analytics

By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven approaches, these centres are accelerating research and development (R&D) timelines, enabling better patient-centric outcomes, and contributing to more efficient global healthcare systems.

The role of AI and digital innovation

Artificial intelligence is emerging as a game-changer for life sciences GCCs in India. By applying machine learning and predictive analytics, companies are enhancing clinical trial design, patient recruitment, drug safety monitoring, and regulatory compliance. AI-driven real-world evidence analytics helps pharmaceutical companies understand patient behaviour, treatment outcomes, and disease progression more accurately, improving both innovation and affordability.

Policy support and ecosystem growth

The rapid expansion of GCCs in India is strongly supported by government policies at both the central and state levels, which encourage innovation and investment in the life sciences sector. In addition, India’s talent pool of 2.7 million life sciences professionals provides a unique advantage. This workforce, combined with a thriving startup ecosystem with over 100 unicorns and the availability of world-class commercial office spaces, ensures that global companies view India as a natural hub for life sciences operations.

The next phase of GCC evolution

The report notes that GCCs in India are evolving into “twin models” of their global headquarters. Rather than functioning merely as support centres, these GCCs are expected to replicate, and in some cases even lead global innovation mandates. The next phase of expansion will be defined by:

• Future-ready capabilities including advanced digital health technologies.

• Outcome-driven models ensuring measurable impact on R&D, regulatory compliance, and patient outcomes.

• Multi-disciplinary, AI-powered talent that bridges gaps between life sciences, data science, and healthcare innovation.

India as the innovation backbone

With these transformations, India is steadily becoming the innovation backbone of the global life sciences sector. The rise of GCCs not only reinforces India’s role in pharmaceutical exports, biotechnology, and medical innovation, but also positions the country as a strategic partner for multinational corporations in achieving faster, safer, and more affordable healthcare solutions for the world.

Outlook

The EY report emphasizes that India’s position as a hub for life sciences GCCs will only strengthen in the coming years. As global healthcare challenges such as chronic diseases, ageing populations, and affordability concerns grow, India’s AI-powered, innovation-led GCC ecosystem will play an increasingly critical role in addressing these issues. With the combination of government support, strong talent, and growing global trust, India is poised to not just support but lead the next wave of breakthroughs in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and healthcare delivery.

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