The growth of Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India is driving a major shift in the automotive supply chain, transforming the country from a low-cost manufacturing hub into a central node for global engineering and software design, the senior executives of ACMA and consulting firm BCG said during a press briefing on Wednesday. They spoke on the sidelines of the 66th annual convention of ACMA, held in Delhi.
Of the 2,100 GCCs currently operating in India, approximately 70 are in the automotive sector. Crucially, more than half of these automotive centers are operated not by vehicle manufacturers (OEMs), but by global component suppliers and engineering firms. These multinationals are establishing large R&D centers to leverage India’s deep engineering and software talent pool. This shift is redefining the competitive landscape for domestic parts makers, who must now compete with global tech giants for the same technical resources, the official noted.
Rather than remaining passive "metal bashers," leading Indian Tier 1 suppliers are rapidly expanding their own R&D networks. This domestic evolution is driven by scale and shifting procurement dynamics. Global OEMs are increasingly requiring suppliers to provide localized design capabilities alongside manufacturing facilities. Suppliers that operate solely in the low-technology, commodity segment face heavy pricing pressure and compressed margins.
The scale of this transition is reflected in the investment strategies of domestic suppliers. For example, Brakes India reports that its R&D output has increased two to threefold over the past three to four years following aggressive investments in staff and testing equipment. While Indian suppliers (typically valued at $1 billion to $2 billion) operate at a smaller scale than the $10 billion to $30 billion multinational component giants, their R&D productivity and output remain highly competitive. This R&D expansion is not limited to Tier 1 suppliers; targeted Tier 2 companies specializing in high-tech niches like actuators and electronics are also investing heavily in design R&D.
Ultimately, this dual expansion; multinational suppliers establishing GCCs and domestic firms scaling up design departments, is driving the industry toward system-level engineering, software-hardware integration, and intellectual property (IP) ownership.