A few years ago “offshore” meant a support desk in another time zone. Today it often means a global capability centre (GCC): a company-owned hub running engineering, data, AI, cyber and finance for the whole group. 🌏
The numbers are big
- India now hosts more than 2,100 GCCs, with revenue approaching US$100 billion in FY26 (YourStory).
- Nasscom and Zinnov estimate GCCs in India employ around 2.36 million people, with plans for far more by 2030.
- Australian names are part of the story. ANZ runs a capability centre in Bengaluru, Telstra has expanded its India operations, and Woodside announced plans for a Bengaluru GCC in 2026.
In June 2026, researchers at UTS warned that Australia risks losing its “corporate brain” if too many high-value roles move offshore (UTS). It is a fair warning, and a useful lens for planning.
Why companies build GCCs
- Scale: large, fast-growing talent pools in engineering and data
- Cost: lower salary bases, especially for build and run work
- Follow-the-sun delivery: work continues while Australia sleeps
- Control: unlike outsourcing, the company owns the team and the IP
What GCCs do not solve
A GCC is not a magic “copy and paste” button for an entire IT department. The roles that stay local, and often become more valuable, include:
- Architects and product owners who sit with the business and set direction
- Security and compliance roles tied to Australian regulation, data sovereignty and clearances
- Client-facing and stakeholder-heavy roles where timezone and context matter
- Government and defence work that must be delivered onshore
- Change, adoption and transition leads who make the hand-over actually work
Getting the onshore and offshore balance right
- Decide what must stay close to the customer. Then design the GCC around everything else.
- Invest in the bridge roles. Delivery managers and engineering leads who work across both teams are the glue.
- Do not hollow out your knowledge. Keep enough local depth to challenge, review and own the outcome.
- Plan the transition people. Contractors are often ideal for knowledge transfer phases.
Where Zone IT Solutions fits
We recruit across Australia and, with a local partner, in India. That means we can help you staff the onshore roles that matter most and support the capability centre build in parallel. RPO and talent planning are often the right starting point.
Employer
Employer
