KPMG, in collaboration with AMCHAM India, has released a new knowledge paper positioning Pune as one of India’s fastest-growing Global Capability Centre (GCC) destinations, driven by rising enterprise demand for AI, engineering, digital transformation, and innovation-led operations.
Titled “Pune: A Strong Growth Frontier for Global Capability Centers in India”, the report highlights how Pune is evolving from a traditional manufacturing and engineering base into a strategic hub for enterprise technology, AI-first mandates, advanced product engineering, and digital innovation.
According to the report, Pune currently hosts more than 500 GCCs and accounts for nearly 14% of India’s GCC units and around 9% of the country’s GCC talent base. The ecosystem is projected to grow to nearly 660–680 GCCs by 2030, supported by increasing investments in AI, cloud engineering, analytics, cybersecurity, fintech, automotive software, and enterprise R&D capabilities.
The paper notes that more than 130 GCCs have either entered or expanded operations in Pune since 2024, with approximately 40% of these mandates described as AI-first setups.
The report identifies technology, manufacturing, BFSI, automotive, semiconductor, and healthcare as key growth sectors driving Pune’s GCC momentum. U.S.-headquartered enterprises account for over 55% of Pune’s GCC base, with companies increasingly leveraging the city for AI engineering, product ownership, cloud platforms, data analytics, cybersecurity, and enterprise transformation initiatives.
According to the study, Pune’s growing attractiveness stems from a combination of deep engineering talent, strong academic infrastructure, comparatively lower operational costs, and increasing policy support through Maharashtra’s GCC Policy 2025.
The report estimates that Pune’s broader technology ecosystem currently supports over 550,000 professionals across IT services, product engineering, startups, and GCCs, alongside more than 2,000 technology enterprises and 800+ startups.
The paper also highlights Pune’s emergence as a strong destination for AI-led enterprise transformation programmes. Companies such as Workday, Rapid7, and BMW are cited among organisations building AI-focused GCC capabilities in the city.
The report further points to increasing convergence between manufacturing and digital engineering, with Pune offering what it describes as a unique “R&D-to-factory feedback loop” supported by the city’s long-standing automotive and industrial ecosystem.
On the policy front, Maharashtra’s GCC Policy 2025 aims to attract 400 new GCCs and create four lakh high-skilled jobs through fiscal incentives, plug-and-play infrastructure, AI ecosystem development, talent programmes, and ease-of-doing-business initiatives, including the MAITRI single-window clearance platform.
The report also identifies infrastructure expansion, AI skilling initiatives, improved Mumbai-Pune connectivity, and rising overflow demand from saturated Tier-I GCC hubs as major opportunities likely to shape Pune’s next phase of growth.