India, US, and Mexico Lead Global Capability Centre Ecosystems: BCG Report
5 JUNE 2025 / 3 min read
India, the US and Mexico have been identified as the most balanced global capability centre (GCC) ecosystems in the world, a new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said, adding that India stands out for its unique combination of scale, innovation and efficiency.
The report highlights the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in driving GCC maturity, with top performers embedding AI across core workflows. Over 90% of top-performing GCCs have set up or expanded AI-led Centres of Excellence in the past 18 months, the report found.
GCCs are evolving from being just “engine rooms” to steering the ship, with AI enabling them to lead transformation, not just support it. “India strikes a rare balance—about 30% of GCCs are mature performers, while underperformance is limited to just 6%. Despite 0% underperformance in Poland, only 9% of GCCs are above average—suggesting a stagnant mid-tier with minimal progression into higher maturity U.S. has the highest share of top and above average performers (~35%) but 10% underperformers, indicating polarized maturity”, it said.
Leading offshore and nearshore hubs—India and the U.S.—set the benchmark with consistently high performance across all levers, defining what balanced maturity entails. Innovation remains a global weak spot for GCCs, with even mature hubs in Asia and Europe underperforming, highlighting that the challenge lies not in geography, but shifting from enablement to ownership, the report noted.
To accelerate maturity and increase their impact on enterprises, the report outlines a three- step playbook for GCCs: define a bold North Star aligned with the enterprise vision; prioritize high-impact value pools based on differentiating factors for top performers; and conduct structured diagnostics to benchmark capability gaps and build a roadmap for scaled transformation. By following this playbook, GCCs can reimagine their role and drive innovation, enterprise agility and competitive advantage.
The report concludes that GCCs poised to lead are those that reimagine their role, moving beyond being mere delivery arms to driving innovation, enterprise agility, and competitive advantage. Those that invest in talent, embed AI deeply, and take co-ownership of outcomes are best positioned to shape the next wave of global enterprise transformation.
The report found that more than 90% of top-performing GCCs implement advanced AI use cases, compared to 50% of others. Rajiv Gupta, Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG, warned that GCCs that fail to embed AI deeply into their operations risk falling into an “auto-pilot mode” and losing ground to leaders in the field.
