Bengaluru: A Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report showed that only 8% of global capability centres (GCCs) advanced significantly across the three dimensions critical to enterprise value—innovation, competitive differentiation, and operational efficiency. GCCs are undergoing swift evolution in their scope and aspirations; however, most continue to prioritise operational delivery, failing to realise their full potential as capability centres that could drive organisation-wide transformation. Drawing from a worldwide survey of GCC and enterprise leadership, the findings call for a fundamental shift in how organisations configure, fund, and leverage their GCCs—positioning them beyond support functions to become central catalysts for innovation, AI implementation, and commercial success.Sreyssha George, managing director and partner at BCG, said, “Leading GCCs are moving beyond scale to build real enterprise advantage. They’re investing in the right talent, identifying untapped value pools, and reimagining business journeys to deliver differentiated impact. AI brought fresh momentum—enabling GCCs to lead transformation, not just support it. Over 90% of top performers set up or expanded AI-led centres of excellence in the past 18 months, a trend consistent across industries and geographies.”India, the US, and Mexico emerge as the most balanced GCC ecosystems—with India uniquely combining scale, innovation, and efficiency. The report highlights AI as a critical accelerator of GCC maturity. While top performers moved beyond pilots to embed AI across core workflows, most GCCs remain trapped in early-stage experimentation.High-performing GCCs stand out through nine key enablers, including embedded leadership, dedicated innovation budgets, AI integration, and strong governance—marking a clear shift from traditional models. The report said value creation is now central to GCC maturity. Leading centres take full ownership, influence decisions, and deliver tangible impact. Technology firms lead in AI and product innovation, while consumer products and goods players excel with innovation-driven models.Top performers stand apart on nine enablers, especially in modular algorithms, leadership and autonomy, and microservices/API—with AI emerging as a future-defining differentiator. Microservices architecture and modular algorithms are utilised by top GCCs to enhance operational efficiency and deliver seamless, scalable solutions. About 70% of top performers host a significant number of global roles in hubs, versus 10% for underperformers. About 60% of top performers operate under centralised or semi-centralised decision models. About 50% of top performers have a fully activated, robust EVP—six times higher than underperformers.