01 / 07 · Practice Area
Global Capability Centers
The legal team GCC heads and parent boards actually need from day one.
We structure, launch and scale GCCs across every workstream - entity, employment, data flows, IP assignment, vendor paper, and the regulators behind each. One partner. One legal architecture. No coordination tax between your parent counsel, compliance team, and us.
Who this is for
Who we built this practice for
This practice is built for the people accountable for whether an India GCC lands on time, on the right structure, and on a legal operating model that holds at scale. Global parent companies planning their first India GCC, or scaling an existing center, get an early and candid view of the structuring choices that compound for a decade. GCC heads and CFOs executing builds from 10 to 1,000+ seats use us as the single legal counterparty across entity, employment, IP, data and vendor workstreams. Parent boards overseeing India expansion get one accountable partner with a coordinated view of risk and timeline.
Portfolio companies in private equity and venture portfolios building shared service centers in India get the same treatment, with diligence-ready paper from day one. Multinational enterprises consolidating fragmented India operations into a single legal entity rely on us to engineer the transition without breaking continuity. GCC-specific counsel matters because this is not generic India setup, it is operating model alignment. The work has to be designed for how a parent runs its global function, how its data architecture flows, how its IP is held, and how its compliance team will read the India entity three audits from now.
Scope
What this practice covers
Our work covers every workstream the GCC build touches, and we run them as one programme rather than as parallel firms. GCC entity structuring covers the subsidiary vs. branch threshold, tax optimization, parent-subsidiary documentation and the FEMA, FDI and sectoral registrations that put the entity on the regulators' books cleanly. Employment framework design covers offer letters, service agreements, the employee handbook, statutory registrations and a policy stack that scales from the first 10 hires to a 1,000+ seat operation without redesign.
IP assignment and ownership architecture is treated as a structural decision. The chain of title from individual contributor to GCC entity to parent is engineered, documented and back-tested against how diligence and a future spin-out or sale will read it. Data architecture and DPDP alignment runs in parallel with the IT and data engineering build, so consent, cross-border transfer, retention and DPO obligations are designed into the system rather than retrofitted after launch. This is particularly critical for GCCs that move parent data to India on day one.
We also draft the GCC-specific agreements that anchor the operating model: cost-sharing arrangements, SLAs between parent and GCC, inter-company charging mechanics and the transfer pricing documentation behind them. Vendor and facilities contracts (IT, MSSP, SaaS, real estate, security, fit-out) are templated to the parent's risk posture and the India regulator's expectations at once. Steady-state FEMA and RBI compliance runs continuously after launch. The throughline: we do not build a GCC and hand it off. We build the legal operating system that scales from 50 to 500 to 1,000+ seats without redesign or rework.
Our Process
How the work moves
Step 01
Mandate scoping
Understand your GCC model, headcount ramp, geography and data criticality. We learn whether you are building a captive center, a shared services hub or a specialized engineering center. We understand your parent data flows, your inter-company cost model and your regulatory dependencies. This scoping determines what is a legal issue vs. an operational decision.
Step 02
GCC legal architecture blueprint
Entity, employment, IP, data, FEMA, regulatory roadmap, all in one document. We design the complete legal structure: one entity type, one employment framework that scales, one IP ownership model, one data flow mechanism, one FEMA compliance path. No handoff between different advisors, no coordination tax.
Step 03
Execution
Entity registration, employment contracts, IP assignments, data mapping, FEMA filings, RBI approvals. We file corporate documents, draft and execute employment contracts, set up IP assignments, map data flows for DPDP compliance, file FC-GPR with RBI, and obtain any required RBI clearances. We coordinate timing so nothing holds up your launch.
Step 04
Steady-state managed counsel
Ongoing compliance, regulatory changes, new hiring, parent recharges, inter-company agreements, policy updates. After launch, most GCCs need ongoing counsel. We handle new employee onboarding, contract reviews, regulatory changes, inter-company agreement updates, FEMA annual reporting and parent recharge models. We stay as your legal operations partner, not a one-time advisor.
What you get
Outcomes you can plan against
Your GCC is built on compliant legal foundations from day one, not retrofitted after the first regulator notice or compliance audit. The legal structure scales from 50 to 500 to 1,000+ seats without redesign. There is no coordination tax between your parent counsel, your India compliance team and us, we integrate and own the entire roadmap. And you have one partner accountable for the legal architecture, not a dozen advisors managing different pieces.
Related Practices
If you are early in your India journey, these adjacent practices often run in parallel:
- India Market Entryif you are a foreign parent entering India
- Cross-Border & FEMAfor parent recharges and inter-company flows
- Cybersecurity & Data Protectionif your GCC manages parent data
By the numbers
Key facts
- Average GCC setup timeline (entity to first hire): 8-12 weeks with legal guidance.
- FEMA FC-GPR filing required within 7 days of foreign investment receipt.
- Indian employment law complexity: 40+ labour codes plus state-level variations.
- DPDP Act: critical data categories must reside in India.
- RBI route matters: automatic vs. approval route shapes structuring and timeline.
- Transfer pricing compliance required for 85%+ of inter-company GCC flows.
- Built right, the legal structure for 50 seats scales to 1,000+ without redesign.
Frequently Asked
Common questions
How long does GCC setup take from mandate to first hire?
8-12 weeks for legal structuring and regulatory approvals, depending on your operating model and scale. We compress timelines by front-loading decisions and coordinating with RBI and income tax authorities in parallel.
What entity structure should a captive GCC use?
Depends on your business model, IP sensitivity, parent jurisdiction, and tax position. We map subsidiary vs. branch structures and their tax/regulatory implications. Most global parents use a wholly-owned Indian subsidiary for liability and tax reasons.
How do parent-company data flows to India work under DPDP?
DPDP requires a legal mechanism (Standard Contractual Clauses, adequacy finding, or contractual safeguards). We map your data flows, assess DPDP risk, and build the compliant structure in parallel with entity setup. This is non-negotiable before day-one data movement.
What's the employment compliance on day one?
Offer letters, service agreements, confidentiality/IP assignment clauses, employee handbook, statutory registrations (ESI, PF). All must be executed before onboarding. We manage the full employee lifecycle from offer to exit.
Do you coordinate with our global GC or parent counsel?
Yes. Most clients have global counsel; we integrate, not conflict. We own India strategy; they own global governance. We align continuously.
How do you handle FEMA and RBI compliance for ongoing operations?
FC-GPR filing within 7 days of investment receipt. FLA (Foreign Liabilities & Assets) return annually. RBI reporting for any approvals or restricted-sector investments. We file, track, and ensure timely submissions.
What happens after launch, do you stay on?
Yes. Most GCCs move into managed counsel mode. We handle ongoing employment compliance, new hiring, contract reviews, regulatory changes, FEMA annual reporting, parent recharge model updates. You stay in legal operations; we handle the work.
Can you handle multi-country expansion beyond India?
Our India expertise is deep and comprehensive. For other jurisdictions, we coordinate with local counsel while owning India strategy.
Next Step
Discuss your GCC expansion.
A confidential conversation with our managing partner to scope the right approach.
Book a Consultation