GCC location decisions are becoming increasingly capability-led, says Goel
The Government of Uttar Pradesh has brought its Global Capability Centre (GCC) growth agenda to Zinnov Confluence 2026, putting a more direct question to global enterprise leaders: What would it take to build and expand a GCC in Uttar Pradesh?
Uttar Pradesh’s dignitaries hosted a closed-door roundtable at Zinnov Confluence 2026, charting the state’s GCC roadmap across talent, technology and future expansion opportunities.
With the state targeting a larger share of India’s next wave of GCC growth, the conversation moved beyond policy intent to the practical factors that shape expansion decisions — from talent and technology to infrastructure, innovation, and speed of execution.
At the centre of the engagement was the closed-door roundtable ‘The GCC Opportunity in Uttar Pradesh: Talent, Technology, and What’s Next’, presided over by Arvind Kumar, GCC Head, Invest UP, and built around the theme ‘Why Uttar Pradesh for Your Next GCC Expansion?’.
Rather than a broad discussion of the state’s advantages, participating GCC leaders were asked to identify what capabilities could potentially move to Uttar Pradesh, what constraints currently stand in the way, and what specific government action could materially influence that decision. The session also brought together Arvind Kumar, GCC Head, Invest UP; Harsh Kumar, GCC Sector Expert, Invest UP (EY Team); and Ram Mushini, Associate Director, Deloitte, who contributed perspectives on the state’s GCC proposition and enterprise location considerations.
“The most valuable part of this dialogue was hearing directly from enterprises about the decisions behind their next expansion — the capabilities they are looking to build, the talent and technology requirements they have, and the constraints that can influence where those capabilities are placed. These conversations give us a clearer view of what industry needs from government and where targeted action can make a difference as Uttar Pradesh strengthens its GCC ecosystem,” Arvind Kumar said on 10 Sept.
Uttar Pradesh’s ambition to capture a larger share of new GCC establishments comes as enterprises broaden their location strategies beyond traditional hubs. The state’s opportunity spans an expanding technology ecosystem and multiple urban centres, with Noida, Greater Noida, Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, Prayagraj, and Bundelkhand forming part of its wider investment and technology landscape.
“GCC location decisions are becoming increasingly capability-led. Enterprises are evaluating where they can access the right talent, build differentiated technology capabilities, and execute at the speed their global businesses require. Uttar Pradesh brings scale to that conversation, and the roundtable was valuable because it put those enterprise requirements directly on the table. The opportunity now is to translate that dialogue into a proposition that can support specialised, high-value GCC mandates across the state,” said Nitika Goel, Managing Partner and Chief Marketing Officer, Zinnov.
The engagement at Zinnov Confluence 2026 created a direct channel between Uttar Pradesh’s policymakers and the enterprises shaping the next phase of GCC expansion in India — with the conversation moving from ‘Why Uttar Pradesh?’ to ‘What would make the decision possible?’.
Zinnov is a global management and strategy consulting firm that helps organizations build, scale, and transform businesses through technology, AI, globalization, and innovation.
For over two decades, Zinnov has partnered with Fortune 500 enterprises, technology platforms, hyperscalers, Global Capability Centers (GCCs), technology service providers, and Private Equity firms to solve complex growth and transformation challenges. The firm has advised 250+ Fortune 500 companies, helped establish and transform 220+ Global Capability Centers, and supported 100+ Private Equity firms on technology investments, M&A, and value creation.
Zinnov’s expertise spans four strategic areas:
• Global Capability Centers (GCCs): End-to-end advisory and implementation across the GCC lifecycle, including strategy, location and workspace selection, setup, scaling, operating model design, AI-led transformation, and global enterprise integration.
Through its GCC-as-a-Service model, Zinnov combines consulting, execution, and the industry’s largest proprietary GCC intelligence platforms to help enterprises make data-driven decisions across talent, innovation, operating models, and AI while accelerating business outcomes through productivity, cost optimization, and revenue growth
• Enterprise AI & Technology Transformation: Helping organizations build AI-first operating models, modernize technology organizations, accelerate engineering innovation, and unlock business value through digital transformation.
• Growth Strategy for Technology Companies: Advising technology service providers, software platforms, and hyperscalers on market expansion, go-to-market strategy, partnership ecosystems, AI-led offerings, and competitive positioning.
• Private Equity & M&A Advisory: Supporting investors and portfolio companies through technology due diligence, commercial diligence, post-merger integration, operating model transformation, and long-term value creation.
Combining research-led insights with execution capabilities, Zinnov helps organizations accelerate growth, unlock innovation, optimize technology investments, and build enduring competitive advantage. With a presence across North America, Europe, and Asia, the firm continues to advise many of the world’s leading enterprises on the future of business and technology. Fiinews.com
