By Jasleen Kaur Gulati

Copyright ptcnews

PTC News Desk: Economists and industry experts say Donald Trump’s crackdown on H-1B visas is likely to accelerate the transfer of critical US business functions to India, boosting the growth of global capability centres (GCCs) that now span operations from finance to R&D.India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, hosts about 1,700 GCCs—more than half of all such centres globally. Having evolved beyond their early role as tech support hubs, they now drive high-value innovation in fields ranging from luxury car dashboard design to drug discovery.Factors such as rising adoption of artificial intelligence and tighter visa restrictions are prompting US firms to rethink their labour strategies, with India’s GCCs emerging as strong alternatives that combine global expertise with local leadership.“GCCs are well-placed to meet this challenge. They function as in-house engines,” said Rohan Lobo, partner and GCC industry leader at Deloitte India, noting that several US companies are already reassessing workforce strategies. He added that shifts are underway, especially in sectors like financial services and technology, including companies tied to US federal contracts. Over time, he expects GCCs to take on “more strategic, innovation-driven roles.”Earlier this month, President Trump raised the cost of new H-1B visa applications to $100,000, up from the previous $2,000–$5,000 range. The steep increase has placed added strain on US companies dependent on foreign skilled workers to address talent shortages. Major H-1B sponsors such as Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, JPMorgan Chase, and Walmart— all with significant Indian operations—have refrained from commenting given the political sensitivity.“Companies will either move more roles to India, or shift them nearer to the US, such as Mexico or Colombia. Canada could also benefit,” said the head of a retail GCC in India.