India's Service Prowess Draws Zeiss to Set Up Its First Regional GCC

India's GCCs have evolved significantly, transitioning from low-cost outsourcing centers to full-fledged global support offices that provide a wide array of services for their parent companies, from finance to R&D. In addition to expanding its technical workforce, Carl Zeiss will hire employees for its fifth manufacturing facility in India, set to open in Bengaluru by 2025. This facility, built with an investment of 30 billion rupees ($355.67 million), marks Carl Zeiss's largest investment outside Germany.

German optical technology giant Carl Zeiss AG has inaugurated its first Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Bengaluru, India and announced plans to double its workforce in the country to 5,000 within the next three years. The new centre will support multiple operations, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, network operations, and software development for Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, its medical technology subsidiary.

"Bengaluru is a prime hub due to the availability of skills, collaboration opportunities, and a supportive ecosystem," said Dhaval Radia, Chief Financial Officer of Carl Zeiss India. The India unit is anticipated to generate 22 billion rupees in revenue for the fiscal year ending in September 2025, reflecting a 19 percent year-on-year growth.

In line with the expansion of GCCs in Karnataka, the state government aims to double the number of GCCs to 1,000 and create 350,000 new jobs by 2029, according to a draft policy released in September.