Healthark Unveils Landmark Report on Capabilities and Maturity of Life Sciences Healthcare

Hyderabad, March 2025- Healthark today launched its latest industry report, Expanding Horizons – The Maturity Journey of Life Sciences and Healthcare GCCs in India, at BioAsia 2025. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the evolution, functional maturity, and future opportunities for Life Sciences and Healthcare (LSHC) Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India.

Over the past two decades, India has emerged as a global hub for LSHC GCCs, growing from a handful of captive centers in 2005 to over 100 today. The report highlights India’s strategic advantages in talent, infrastructure, and innovation-driven growth. Initially established as in-house service providers for IT, back-office operations, and early R&D support, these centers have since expanded their capabilities to include regulatory submissions, early-stage clinical trials, and molecule screening.

The report also outlines how, as the sector has matured, GCCs have moved up the value chain, playing a critical role in drug development. A highly skilled tech ecosystem has enabled high-value IT transitions, allowing these centers to contribute strategically to their parent organizations. With a strong emphasis on digital transformation, many GCCs are now leading open and closed innovation initiatives, establishing Centers of Excellence (CoEs), and enhancing global business functions.

Geographically, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Chennai, and Pune collectively account for more than 95% of India’s LSHC GCCs. Hyderabad alone hosts over 20%, with global companies increasingly setting up second facilities or expanding operations due to the city’s mature ecosystem and strong government support. The study underscores that establishing GCCs in India offers 40%-50% cost savings, driven by lower operational costs, real estate affordability, and competitive salaries.

“As Hyderabad cements its position as a leading hub for LSHC GCCs, our government remains committed to fostering innovation and supporting the sector’s continued expansion,” said Hon’ble Minister for Industries and Commerce, Government of Telangana, Sridhar Babu. “The city’s deep talent pool, advanced infrastructure, and progressive policies make it an attractive destination for global players.”

Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana noted, “the rapid growth of LSHC GCCs in Hyderabad reflects the city’s strong biotech and pharma ecosystem. The expansion of global players and the establishment of new centers reinforce India’s growing role in the global life sciences value chain.”

More than 50% of LSHC GCCs in India now focus on core and support drug development activities, while 60% engage in business operations spanning commercial, supply chain, and corporate functions such as Finance & Accounting and HRM. Technology remains the most mature function, with over 80% of GCCs involved in platform engineering and digital transformation, reinforcing India’s status as a global tech powerhouse.

“India’s LSHC GCCs have evolved beyond cost arbitrage to become strategic hubs driving innovation, digital transformation, and complex business functions,” said Sudeep Krishna, Co-Founder & President, Healthark. “This report showcases the incredible maturity journey of these centers and their potential for global impact.”

Looking ahead, the report identifies key opportunities for GCCs in India, emphasizing the importance of housing global product owners to drive end-to-end product development and R&D operations. Establishing Global Process Owners (GPOs) is seen as essential for achieving standardization across workstreams and ensuring a sustainable competitive advantage. Additionally, adopting an optimized sourcing strategy—balancing core activities within the company while outsourcing non-core operations—will be crucial for maximizing efficiency and scalability.

“The next phase of growth for LSHC GCCs will be driven by enhanced product development capabilities, differentiated talent strategies, and the adoption of best-in-class sourcing models. India is well-positioned to lead this transformation”, said Dr. Purav Gandhi, Founder & CEO, Healthark.

Healthark’s latest report provides valuable insights into the evolving role of India’s LSHC GCCs and their potential to shape the future of global healthcare and life sciences. As these centers continue to mature, their influence on innovation, R&D, and business transformation is set to expand significantly.