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India is steadily cementing its position as a global hub for tax expertise, as multinational corporations increasingly rely on their India-based Global Capability Centres (GCCs) to manage sophisticated tax operations. A new whitepaper released by Deloitte, titled Transforming Global Tax Functions: The GCC Advantage, highlights this growing trend.

These operations include corporate tax, indirect tax, transfer pricing, and litigation support — once considered core headquarters responsibilities. According to the report, GCCs in India are no longer peripheral support systems but are evolving into key enablers in global tax strategy.

From Support Centers To Centres Of Excellence

Deloitte’s whitepaper, authored by Manisha Gupta, Partner at Deloitte India, points out that many multinationals are setting up tax-specific Centres of Excellence (CoEs) within their Indian GCCs. These centers leverage a combination of local talent, technological infrastructure, and cost-effectiveness to streamline tax processes across jurisdictions.

"GCCs have become an integral part of the global tax ecosystem, providing organisations with a competitive edge in managing their tax functions," the report noted.

India’s tax CoEs are not just supporting global operations — they are leading them. Around 76 per cent of respondents in the report stated they already manage global tax functions from India.

India: A Maturing Hub For High-Value Global Services

With over 1,700 GCCs operating across the country and employing 1.9 million professionals, India’s role in the global enterprise ecosystem is rapidly expanding. These centers collectively generated $64.6 billion in revenue in 2024. Major cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Mumbai, and NCR have become thriving GCC clusters.

Looking ahead, the sector is expected to grow to $105 billion by 2030, with the number of GCCs increasing to 2,400 and employment crossing 2.8 million.

Digital Transformation And Geographic Diversification

The report also highlights a clear shift toward more strategic and knowledge-intensive functions within GCCs. Around 40 per cent of digital transformation initiatives in GCCs are now being driven from India. Furthermore, new centers from regions like Germany, the UK, Japan, and Nordic nations underscore the growing global trust in India’s capabilities.

This evolution reflects a broader trend of GCCs moving away from low-end processing roles toward more complex, high-value functions such as analytics, compliance, and innovation.