Maharashtra Targets 400 New GCCs, 4 Lakh High-Skilled Jobs and Rs 50,000 Crore Investment: CM Fadnavis in Pune

Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 11th August 2026: Maharashtra has set an ambitious target of attracting 400 new Global Capability Centres (GCCs), creating four lakh high-skilled jobs and bringing in investments worth ₹50,000 crore, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday.

Fadnavis was speaking at the GCCPros Leadership Summit held at Hotel Conrad in Pune.

He said the state government aims to make Maharashtra the leading and most preferred destination in India for global capability centres.

The Chief Minister said the nature of GCCs is changing rapidly, with the centres expected to move beyond traditional back-office operations and increasingly focus on engineering, artificial intelligence (AI), product development, cybersecurity, financial services, data analytics, and research and development.

“GCCs of 2030 will not be limited to office support functions. They will become centres for engineering, AI, product development, cybersecurity, financial services, data analytics and R&D, and will also contribute to important global business decisions,” he said.

Maharashtra has a multi-city GCC ecosystem

Fadnavis said Maharashtra’s strength lies in its broad ecosystem rather than the presence of a single major city.

Mumbai has a strong financial and business ecosystem, while Pune has established capabilities in engineering, automobiles, manufacturing and technology, supported by a skilled workforce. Nashik, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar also have the potential to develop specialised GCC operations, he said.

“Maharashtra does not have just one good city. It has a network of cities, talent and capabilities,” Fadnavis said.

He said Pune had strengthened its position in the GCC sector in 2025 and became India’s second-largest office market for GCCs.

According to him, the number of GCCs in Pune more than doubled compared with the previous year. He expressed confidence that Pune would emerge as a leading GCC destination in the country by the end of 2026.

Government focuses on ecosystem, not just incentives

Fadnavis said Maharashtra’s approach would not be limited to offering financial incentives to attract GCCs.

While subsidies can help attract investments, he said a sustainable GCC ecosystem depends on skilled talent, infrastructure, ease of doing business, quality of life, research institutions, universities, connectivity and trust between industry and government.

The state’s GCC policy includes incentives such as wage subsidies, support for capital expenditure or rental costs, interest subsidies, assistance for research and development and other financial benefits.

The government is also focusing on factors such as industry-friendly regulations, additional Floor Space Index (FSI), flexibility in land use, priority access to land, digital data infrastructure, reliable infrastructure and facilities required for round-the-clock operations, Fadnavis said.

“The objective is not merely to provide these instruments but to build capability,” he said.

Focus on future-ready workforce

The Chief Minister said the availability of employees alone would not be sufficient to meet the requirements of emerging industries.
“The more important question is whether employees with the right skills will be available,” he said, stressing the need to build a pipeline of future-ready talent.

Demand is rising for AI engineers, data analytics professionals, cybersecurity specialists, semiconductor engineers, product managers, advanced manufacturing technology experts, quantitative finance professionals and life sciences specialists, he said.

Fadnavis called for greater coordination between the government, industry and educational institutions to prepare students for future jobs.
He urged industry representatives to guide universities on the skills that would be required over the next five years rather than focusing only on the skills that were in demand five years ago.

Maharashtra aims to lead in AI and advanced technology

Fadnavis said Maharashtra wants to remain at the forefront of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.

He referred to a memorandum of understanding signed at the World Economic Forum in Davos this year for establishing a centre focused on the use, research and innovation of AI technology in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex.

He said Maharashtra already has industrial capabilities in semiconductors, fintech, cybersecurity, advanced engineering, pharmaceutical R&D, electric vehicle technology and industrial technology.

“The next generation of GCCs should develop at the intersection of these capabilities,” he said.

GCC expansion beyond Mumbai and Pune

Fadnavis said all 400 proposed GCCs need not be concentrated in Mumbai and Pune. While the two cities will continue to serve as the state’s major global business centres, the government wants to involve Tier-II and Tier-III cities in the GCC ecosystem.

He outlined potential areas of specialisation for different cities, with Mumbai positioned for global financial and institutional functions, Pune for engineering and product development, Navi Mumbai for global business and technology, Nagpur for specialised technology and shared services, Nashik for engineering and industrial capabilities, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for advanced manufacturing and automotive capabilities.

According to Fadnavis, such a distributed model could create a broader and more flexible GCC ecosystem across the state.

Government plans single-point GCC support system

Fadnavis also said the government would have to change its own working methods to support the rapidly evolving GCC sector.

He said companies should not have to wait weeks or months for routine approvals and should instead have access to clear decisions and an accountable mechanism for resolving problems.

The state government is working towards establishing a single government contact mechanism for GCCs, under which one designated person and system would be responsible for helping companies establish and expand centres and resolve operational issues.

“The real meaning of ease of doing business is improving the experience that industries have when they interact with government offices,” Fadnavis said.

GCCs to support Maharashtra’s $1 trillion economy target

Fadnavis said GCCs would play an important role in Maharashtra’s goal of becoming a $1 trillion economy.

He said GCCs bring more than capital, contributing knowledge, global business practices, R&D, leadership capabilities and high-value employment. They also connect Maharashtra’s skilled workforce directly with the global economy and create centres of decision-making, he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar said Maharashtra’s ambition was to become more than an operational base for GCCs and emerge as a global centre for innovation, research, product development and advanced technologies.

She said Pune’s technology ecosystem, skilled workforce and combination of IT and manufacturing capabilities made it suitable for areas such as AI, robotics, cybersecurity, advanced engineering and R&D.

Pawar said GCCs were creating opportunities not only for employment but also for research, intellectual property and global exposure. She said the government was focusing on preparing Maharashtra’s youth for future technologies through coordination between industry, educational institutions, startups and the government.

She added that the government was committed to providing investors with infrastructure, connectivity, digital systems and an enabling business environment.

GCCPros Chief Advisor Nilesh Deshmukh delivered the introductory remarks and outlined the objectives of the one-day summit. He thanked the state government for its support.