India Emerges As Global Epicentre For Life Sciences GCCs: EY Report

India is fast cementing its position as a global powerhouse for life sciences Global Capability Centres (GCCs), with nearly 23 of the top 50 global life sciences companies establishing operations in the country — many within the past five years, says a new report by Ernst & Young (EY).

Titled ‘Reimagining Life Sciences Global Capability Centres (GCCs)’, the report highlights that Indian GCCs now manage a significant share of critical functions for their parent organisations worldwide.

According to the findings, 70 per cent of finance, 75 per cent of HR, 62 per cent of supply chain, and 67 per cent of IT operations for global life sciences firms are being handled out of India.

The study underscores India’s rising influence in pharmaceutical research, innovation, and comprehensive value creation across the life sciences ecosystem.

Contributing to this rise is a robust talent ecosystem comprising 2.7 million life sciences professionals, a thriving startup environment with over 100 unicorns, and an expanding supply of Grade-A commercial infrastructure across both metro cities and emerging Tier-II and Tier-III locations.

“Life sciences multinationals are embedding their most strategic, knowledge-intensive work here, making India the epicentre for life sciences innovation, compliance, and future growth,” said Arindam Sen, Partner and GCC Sector Lead – Technology, Media & Entertainment, and Telecommunications, EY India.

Sen further noted that India’s evolution has been swift and transformational.

“Our analysis highlights how India has rapidly evolved from a support base to the very centre of innovation for global pharma and healthcare. In just five years, GCC penetration in enabling functions like finance, HR, supply chain, and IT has crossed 60 per cent.”

Echoing similar views, Sonam Mahajan Partner, Business Consulting - Life Sciences, EY India talked about the stupendous growth the life sciences industry is witnessing. “The life sciences industry has shown incredible growth and agility in shaping the GCC potential. The GCCs in the industry today are driving innovation, accelerating drug development and patient centric solutions at a global scale. These are truly the capability centers that have challenged the norms and imperatives of the past and defined new growth paths for the future.”

The report also points to India’s growing role in core functional areas, with GCCs managing 45 per cent of global drug discovery and development, 60 per cent of

regulatory affairs, 54 per cent of medical affairs, and 50 per cent of commercial operations.

“But what truly stands out is the deepening role in core functions — from drug discovery and regulatory affairs to medical and commercial operations. This isn’t about cost arbitrage anymore, it’s about India becoming indispensable to the global R&D pipeline.”

The modern GCCs, as the report outlines, are no longer confined to support roles. They now span key domains such as clinical trials, pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs, and real-world evidence analytics. Many of these centres are leveraging artificial intelligence to expedite drug development and drive patient-centric innovation.

India’s emergence as the backbone of global life sciences GCCs is being enabled by proactive policy support. State and central governments are actively positioning GCCs as engines of digital exports, employment generation, and foreign direct investment, the report notes.

Looking forward, EY envisions a future where leading Indian GCCs operate as “twins” of their global headquarters, jointly driving innovation, sharing accountability, and delivering measurable outcomes.

The next leap, the report suggests, will be defined by three key imperatives: future-ready capabilities, outcome-driven operating models, and a multi-disciplinary, AI-ready workforce.