JAMMU, OCTOBER 10: The Lieutenant Governor, Shri Manoj Sinha today addressed the Valedictory Session of the J&K Global Capability Centre (GCC) Summit 2026. He said that Jammu Kashmir is poised to emerge as a significant destination for Global Capability Centres, driven by its young talent, improving infrastructure, investor-friendly policies and growing innovation ecosystem.
Congratulating IIM Jammu, NASSCOM, partner institutions and the administration for successfully organising the two-day summit, the Lieutenant Governor urged participants to reflect on a key question about why companies seeking their next talent hub, innovation centre and capacity destination should Jammu Kashmir be their preferred choice and work together with a strong resolve to make it a reality.
Drawing inspiration from the world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River, the Lieutenant Governor said that Jammu Kashmir today reflects the confidence and ambition required to pursue transformational goals.
He observed that the Chenab itself, formed through the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers, symbolises the spirit of collaboration. In a similar manner, GCCs bring together the global expertise, capital and technology of multinational enterprises with the talent, aspirations and imagination of Jammu Kashmir’s youth to create new opportunities for growth and innovation.
“I see Global Capability Centres in the same spirit of courage and confluence and together they can generate a strength far beyond their separate capabilities,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor noted that India is home to more than 2,100 GCCs employing over 19 Lakh professionals and contributing substantially to exports. He highlighted that an increasing number of GCCs are expanding beyond metropolitan centres into Tier-II and Tier-III cities, demonstrating that India’s talent pool is now widely distributed across the country. He said that this presents both an opportunity and a responsibility for Jammu Kashmir to strengthen its institutions, infrastructure and innovation ecosystem.
Emphasising the future direction of the GCC sector, the Lieutenant Governor said that the journey of GCCs has evolved from questions of cost efficiency to excellence and capability. He expressed confidence that Jammu Kashmir can evolve from being a destination for capability centres to becoming a hub for unique global innovations originating from the region.
The Lieutenant Governor also highlighted the rapid transformation of Jammu Kashmir under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He said the major infrastructure developments, enhanced connectivity is supporting the rising industrial investments and the remarkable growth of the startup ecosystem.
“The industrial revolution we are witnessing today in parts of the Jammu division and the Kashmir Valley is a living symbol of the new Jammu Kashmir. In 2020, there were only 69 startups and that number has now risen to 1,305, a growth of over 1,800%. When the energy of young, ambitious graduates from IIM Jammu, IIT Jammu, NIT Srinagar and other universities of Jammu Kashmir is added to these figures, you see a ready workforce emerging,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor identified six key advantages that position Jammu Kashmir as an attractive GCC destination including strong financial support, lower operating costs, special incentives for pioneering multinational investors, the return of local talent, first-mover advantages for early GCC entrants and opportunities in niche sectors such as agri-tech, tourism-tech and handicraft digitisation.
Outlining a four-pillar roadmap for the next five years, the Lieutenant Governor stressed talent development through industry-academia partnerships, building trust through credible implementation, leveraging Jammu Kashmir’s unique destination advantages and promoting inclusive growth through a hub-and-spoke development model.
Expressing confidence in J&K’s future, the Lieutenant Governor said that GCCs can become an integral pillar of Jammu Kashmir’s industrial ecosystem over the next decade. He stated that the foundation laid during the summit can help build a new, aspirational and innovation-driven Jammu Kashmir that is fully prepared to welcome Global Capability Centres from across the world.
Shri Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary, J&K; Padma Bhushan Shri Rajendra Singh Pawar, Chairman, NIIT; Prof. BS Sahay, Director IIM Jammu; Shri Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, Secretary, Labour & Employment Department, J&K; Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean, Faculty and Research, IIM Jammu; Prof. Nitin Upadhyay, Dean Academics, IIM Jammu; Dr. Sandeep Ananthanarayanan. CEO, CITaG, IIM Jammu; experts, policy makers, industry leaders, senior officials, faculty and students in large number attended the valedictory session.
