The space a life sciences GCC in Hyderabad needs depends on what the centre will do, not on the size of the parent company. Centres running clinical data, regulatory, pharmacovigilance, analytics or digital work need good offices and nothing more. Labs only come into it when the GCC does hands-on science, such as analytical testing, process development or discovery research. Map your functions first, then pick the space.
Why Are Pharma Companies Setting Up GCCs in Hyderabad?
A Global Capability Centre (GCC) is an offshore unit that a multinational owns and runs itself, instead of outsourcing the work. In life sciences, GCCs have become a large share of real estate demand. JLL reports that between 2023 and 2025, GCCs made up about 30% of all life sciences leasing in India. Hyderabad took roughly 45% of that GCC activity, ahead of Bengaluru (about 26%) and Chennai (about 13%).
Two 2026 announcements show the pattern:
Lonza (Switzerland) said in March 2026 it would open a Hyderabad GCC covering operational, digital and scientific functions linked to its contract manufacturing business.
Regeneron (United States) announced a Hyderabad GCC in May 2026, due to open in the second half of the year. Its listed functions include data management, statistical programming, AI, clinical trial operations and commercial analytics.
Both are weighted towards data and digital work. That is typical, and it matters for how much specialised space a GCC actually needs.
Do GCCs Need Lab Space or Just Offices?
Most life sciences GCCs start as office-only. A growing number add labs as they take on R&D. The three common set-ups compare like this:
| Feature | Office Only | Office + Dry Lab | Office + Wet Lab |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical Functions | Clinical data, biostatistics, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, medical writing, IT, finance, commercial analytics | Computational biology, modelling, instrument and device testing, electronics, data-heavy research | Analytical development, QC testing, process development, discovery chemistry and biology |
| Space Requirements | Grade A office, IT backbone, collaboration space | Office plus rooms with extra power, cooling and benches; no hazardous chemistry | Lab-grade building with fume hoods, high air changes, piped gases, purified water, waste and effluent handling |
| Build Complexity | Low | Moderate | High |
| Approvals | Standard commercial | Mostly standard, plus equipment-specific safety | Pollution control consent, fire safety, waste authorisations and biosafety approvals for some biological work |
| Typical Location | IT corridor offices or a science campus | IT corridor or science campus | Purpose-built lab buildings, typically Genome Valley |
Where in Hyderabad Should a Life Sciences GCC Sit?
Location follows function:
– Office-only GCCs often choose the western IT corridor (HITEC City, Gachibowli, Financial District), where digital and analytics talent is concentrated.
– Wet lab GCCs usually need Genome Valley or another dedicated life sciences zone. Ordinary office buildings rarely have the floor heights, exhaust, drainage or effluent treatment that labs need, and retrofitting them is slow. JLL makes the same point: outside established clusters, occupiers often end up adapting buildings that were never designed for labs.
– Hybrid GCCs face a real trade-off. You can split the team across two sites or put everyone on one science campus. Splitting suits large digital teams with a small lab group. One campus suits centres where scientists and data teams work closely together.
How Much Space Does a GCC Need per Person?
Office space is usually planned per seat. Labs are planned around equipment and workflow, so they need far more area per person once you count instrument rooms, storage, wash areas and plant space. A lab scientist can easily take several times the area of an office worker.
[CONFIRM: NQF’s planning guidance on sq ft per head for office, dry lab and wet lab, and typical lab-to-support-space ratio.]
Plan for growth from day one. GCCs often grow quickly in their first few years, and moving a lab is far harder than moving an office. Ask for expansion rights or a right of first refusal on adjacent space.
What Are the Steps to Set Up a Life Sciences GCC?
1. List the functions the centre will run in years one to three, with headcount for each.
2. Classify each function as office, dry lab or wet lab, using the table above.
3. Set up the legal entity and location route with your tax and legal advisers.
4. Shortlist space that matches the classification. For wet labs, check floor heights, exhaust capacity, utilities and effluent treatment early.
5. Line up approvals: pollution control consent and fire safety for labs. If the work involves genetically modified organisms, you will need an Institutional Biosafety Committee under Department of Biotechnology (DBT) rules.
6. Fit out or move in. Plug-and-play space shortens this step most.
7. Commission and, where needed, qualify lab systems if the work must meet GxP (good practice) standards.
8. Hire and ramp, keeping expansion space reserved.
GCC Setup Timeline
Step | Office-only GCC | GCC with wet lab |
|---|---|---|
Space search to lease signing | [CONFIRM] | [CONFIRM] |
Fit-out | [CONFIRM] | [CONFIRM: warm shell vs plug-and-play] |
Approvals | [CONFIRM] | [CONFIRM] |
Commissioning and qualification | Not usually needed | [CONFIRM] |
What Should a GCC Ask a Landlord?
Can the building take a lab later, even if we start in offices?
What are the floor heights, floor loading and power capacity per sq ft?
Is there effluent treatment, and what volume and chemistry can it handle?
Who manages approvals, and how long have they taken for recent tenants?
Is there room to expand on the same campus?
What facilities management, security and monitoring are included?
Are there shared amenities (cafeterias, transport, training rooms) for a growing team?
Where Does NQF Hubs Fit?
NQF Hubs (NXT QST FWD) lists Global Capability Centres as one of three environment types on its Solutions page, next to research and pilot labs and manufacturing facilities. That makes it one option for GCCs that want office and lab space on the same campus. It offers plug-and-play and built-to-suit formats with 24×7 facilities management.
[CONFIRM: GCC formats available (office only, office plus lab), current availability, and which campuses suit GCCs.]
For companies moving existing R&D teams, see our guide on relocating R&D and biomanufacturing to Hyderabad or Bengaluru. For budgeting, our Genome Valley lab cost guide breaks down rent, fit-out and running costs. [EDITOR: confirm this URL once Post 2 is live.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to set up a pharma GCC in India?
You need a legal entity, a clear list of functions and headcount, and space that matches those functions. Office-only GCCs can start in Grade A offices. GCCs doing lab work need lab-grade buildings and approvals such as pollution control consent and fire safety.
Do GCCs need lab space or just offices?
Most life sciences GCCs run data, regulatory, clinical operations and digital functions that need only offices. Lab space is needed when the centre does hands-on work such as analytical testing, process development or discovery research.
Why is Hyderabad popular for life sciences GCCs?
Hyderabad combines a large digital and analytics talent pool with Genome Valley’s purpose-built life sciences infrastructure. JLL reports the city took about 45% of life sciences GCC leasing in India between 2023 and 2025.
Can a GCC start in offices and add a lab later?
Yes, and many do. The easiest path is to choose a campus that already has lab-ready buildings, so the lab can be added nearby without moving the whole team.
How long does it take to set up a GCC with a wet lab in Hyderabad?
It usually takes longer than an office-only centre because of fit-out, approvals and, for GxP work, qualification. Plug-and-play lab space shortens the timeline the most. [CONFIRM: NQF’s typical range.]
Call to action
Planning a life sciences GCC in Hyderabad? Book a consultation with NQF Hubs to map your functions to the right mix of office and lab space, or download the campus brochure.