Bengaluru: India’s growing network of global corporate hubs is becoming a major force in the worldwide artificial intelligence race, as multinational companies increasingly use their India based teams to build advanced AI systems for healthcare, retail, finance and pharmaceuticals.
What were once mainly back office support centres are now evolving into powerful innovation hubs that influence business decisions and product development across the world. From helping doctors save time with patients to speeding up drug launches and improving online marketing, artificial intelligence projects developed in India are now shaping operations for some of the world’s biggest companies.
According to industry estimates, India currently hosts more than 2,100 Global Capability Centres, commonly known as GCCs. These centres employ over 2.3 million people and generate close to 100 billion dollars in annual revenue. Major cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune have become key destinations for companies investing in AI driven technology and research.
Technology giant Microsoft is among the companies expanding its AI work in India. The company has partnered with Apollo Hospitals to create an AI assistant that helps doctors quickly collect patient information and prepare medical summaries. Microsoft officials say the technology allows doctors to spend more time interacting directly with patients instead of handling paperwork and administrative tasks.
The company is also preparing to open one of its largest data centres in Hyderabad later this year to support increasing demand for cloud computing and AI services. Industry experts believe India’s strong engineering talent and lower operating costs continue to attract large scale technology investments.
Retail companies are also using India based teams to test new AI applications. Catalyst Brands, which owns the American department store chain JCPenney, is experimenting with AI generated product photos and promotional videos from its Bengaluru office. The company hopes the technology will reduce the need for expensive international photo shoots and speed up advertising campaigns.
Consumer goods maker Kimberly Clark is using AI tools developed through its India operations to identify social media influencers for products such as Huggies diapers. Instead of manually reviewing thousands of online profiles, the AI systems help marketing teams find suitable influencers faster and more accurately.
The pharmaceutical sector is witnessing some of the biggest changes. Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk is using artificial intelligence in several stages of medicine development and launch processes. Company executives say AI can help manage regulatory documents, analyse safety reports and improve commercial planning. They believe these tools could significantly reduce the time needed to bring new medicines to market.
Experts say India’s role in global business is changing rapidly as companies shift more important operations into their own GCC networks instead of relying entirely on outsourcing firms. International companies are now giving Indian teams greater control over complete products, research projects and AI systems.
However, the rise of artificial intelligence is also creating concerns about future employment trends. While investment in India continues to grow, companies are becoming more selective in hiring as automation reduces the demand for repetitive work. Industry analysts say workers with specialised skills in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data science will be in higher demand in the coming years.
Despite these concerns, India’s technology sector is expected to remain one of the fastest growing AI centres in the world. Analysts believe the country’s large talent pool, expanding digital infrastructure and strong corporate presence position it as a key player in the next phase of global AI development.
The transformation of India’s corporate hubs shows how the country is moving beyond its traditional image as a low cost outsourcing destination and becoming an important centre for global innovation and advanced technology.