Booth #2829 invites attendees to step inside the worlds of two iconic franchises through the groundbreaking LEGO SMART Play experienceAttendees will be able to experience two beloved franchises like never before, as LEGO SMART Play adds a new dimension of interactive playOther exciting ways to experience the LEGO brand on-site July 23-26 include multiple new product reveals making global debuts, in-booth programming and a scavenger hunt for brand prizes

SAN DIEGO, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The LEGO Group is unveiling the LEGO® SMART Play™ Gateway at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 — a booth experience powered by LEGO SMART Play technology that puts attendees right at the center of their fandoms and brings LEGO sets to life with a newfound layer of interactivity. At the LEGO SMART Play Gateway, fans will step inside the heart of two of pop culture’s most beloved franchises.

The LEGO Group will also further debut several new LEGO sets spanning numerous fandoms at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 — continuing to offer a LEGO set for every age and interest!

Enter a New Dimension of Play at the LEGO SMART Play Gateway

Launched this year, LEGO SMART Play provides open-ended physical play through responsive technology that reacts in real time. The LEGO SMART Play platform is powered by the SMART Brick, a 2×4 LEGO brick compatible with the LEGO System in Play that holds more than 20 patented world-first technologies. The SMART Brick can read SMART Tags and SMART Minifigures, synthesize light and sounds and sense precise motion, allowing kids to build, interact and create their own stories as their creations play back.

Attendees at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 are invited to step through the doors of the LEGO SMART Play Gateway, a retro-futuristic interworld departure terminal. Blending mid-century modern design with the technological optimism of LEGO SMART Play, the space transports fans from the show floor through SMART Play™-powered portals and into one of two fully immersive destinations:

Destination: LEGO Pokémon™ Lab

Destination: LEGO Pokémon™ Lab invites fans into the starting point of every Pokémon Trainer’s journey, a Lab recreated with scaled-up LEGO bricks and populated by life-sized LEGO Pokémon™ builds powered by LEGO SMART Play.Guests can choose their first partner Pokémon by selecting a Poké Ball to reveal Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle and interact with their chosen Pokémon via SMART Brick lights and sounds. Portal visitors can further try out a game of “Hide and Pikachu” inspired by the LEGO Pokémon™ SMART Play: Training House with Pikachu set or interact with Eevee as its ears sway and the gems around its glow.Don’t depart without exploring the display case highlighting a full range of LEGO Pokémon™ sets available this year.

Destination: Mos Eisley

Destination: Mos Eisley transports Star Wars™ fans straight to Mos Eisley Cantina, recreated as a series of oversized LEGO brick environments pulled directly from the world of LEGO Star Wars™ SMART Play (specifically, the LEGO Star Wars™ SMART Play: Mos Eisley Cantina™ set!).Interactive touchpoints are woven throughout, doubling as iconic photo opportunities: grab the mic and swing it to trigger a SMART Brick remix of the iconic Cantina Song as the Modal Nodes band plays along; slide into the infamous corner booth for a face-to-face encounter with Greedo; and visit the Dewback Petting Zoo for a photo op with a purring, snoozing Dewback.Eagle-eyed fans can also decode hidden Aurebesh signage to unlock in-universe Easter eggs scattered throughout the space.

“The excitement around LEGO SMART Play began earlier this year and continues to grow with the launch of new sets on August 1. We are thrilled to bring these themes to life at the LEGO SMART Play Gateway during San Diego Comic-Con,” said Beth McKenna, Head of U.S. Marketing at the LEGO Group. “LEGO SMART Play represents the most significant advancement in LEGO® play since the Minifigure. Comic-Con is the ideal venue to showcase the possibilities of LEGO SMART Play, where attendees unite over the stories, characters, and worlds they adore.”

Sets Debuting at San Diego Comic-Con 2026

Brand new sets from across the LEGO brand’s most beloved franchises, not specific to SMART Play, are on display flanking the rear of the gateway; as each display case operates as its own destination, inviting fans and enthusiasts to explore and build upon the worlds they love most.

Boldly Build Where No One Has Built Before with the NEW LEGO Icons Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701™ Bridge

The LEGO Icons Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701™ Bridge (11385), the ultimate tribute to one of the most iconic ships in sci-fi history, is a perfect way to celebrate Star Trek’s 60th anniversary in 2026 – and it reveals at San Diego Comic-Con!

This 1,701-piece set, available at LEGO Stores and LEGO.com exclusively beginning September 1 and available for pre-order now, recreates the iconic bridge and transporter room from the original series in authentic detail with eight LEGO Minifigures representing the Starfleet crew. Turn a dial to beam crew from the transporter room, swish open the turbo lift doors and rock the captain’s chair to simulate warp turbulence and space battles; this is a mission-worthy build for any Trekkie.

Outside of the booth, the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701™ Bridge set will make its first appearance at the Star Trek: The Collector Frontier Panel, accompanied by LEGO set designers Henrik Andersen and Crystal Marie Fontan to explain the process and inspiration that went into recreating the U.S.S. Enterprise. The panel takes place Thursday, July 23, 11:00am to 12:00pm in Room 5AB. For those on the hunt for further LEGO Star Trek sights, be sure to visit the “Star Trek: Boldly Built” activation at the Marriot Marquis on W. Harbor Drive July 23-26, where attendees can take a photo in a LEGO brick-built Captain’s Chair – made out of 83,568 LEGO bricks!

Relive the Classic with the NEW LEGO Donkey Kong™ Arcade

Jump back into a classic age of gaming with the LEGO Donkey Kong Arcade (72051), on display for the first time at San Diego Comic-Con and available in stores August 1. This 1,367-piece collectible set pays homage to the iconic arcade cabinet, complete with Jumpman, Donkey Kong and Lady, plus scaffold, ladder and hammer details straight from the original Nintendo® game.

Pull the lever to release one of the 21 barrels at a time, move Jumpman with the joystick and press the button to make him jump over the barrels — there is even a mechanism to circulate the barrels in a continuous loop to keep the fun rolling! A must-have for adult fans of classic arcade games and retro decor.

Bringing the Swamp to San Diego with NEW LEGO Minifigures Shrek Series

The LEGO Minifigures Shrek Series (71053) brings 12 beloved characters from the franchise to Minifigure form at San Diego Comic-Con, each tucked inside a sealed mystery box for ages six and up. Discover Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots, Lord Farquaad and more, most with at least one themed accessory like blind mice, a magic mirror or lollipop. Collect them all, play out scenes from the films or put them on display. These are available September 1, but the fairytale will continue in 2027 with more LEGO Shrek!

This summer marks the 25th anniversary of the first Shrek film, which launched a global blockbuster franchise. A new chapter begins next summer, when DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek 5 arrives in cinemas worldwide.

Within and Beyond the Booth

Attendees can explore the LEGO SMART Play™ Gateway from Thursday, July 23 to Sunday, July 26 at booth #2829, where the power of LEGO SMART Play comes to life across every corner of the experience.

Beyond the SMART Play Gateway, fans can attend LEGO-brand panels celebrating major milestones, hunt for exclusive LEGO finds in a scavenger hunt spanning the entire convention floor and take home collectible souvenirs to remember the experience:

LEGO NINJAGO® Celebrates – 15 Years and Counting! NINJAGO voice talent will take the stage to celebrate 15 years of everyone’s favorite minifig ninja team – LEGO NINJAGO! They will talk about their best-loved moments from hundreds of episodes and perform a staged reading of an all-new, exclusive canon scene written by fellow panelists, LEGO NINJAGO: Dragons Rising head writers Kevin Burke & Chris “Doc” Wyatt. Thursday, July 23, 2:15pm-3:15pm in Room 6BCF. In-booth signings July 23, 4:00pm-5:00pm and Friday, July 24 2:30pm-3:30pm. NINJAGO fans will be further pleased to know that the LEGO brand debuted the third installation of its partnership with Crocs™, the NINJAGO collection, at San Diego Comic-Con this morning, The release features Classic Clogs for adults and kids inspired by one of the franchise’s most beloved heroes, Lloyd; fans can further personalize their look with character-inspired Jibbitz™ charm packs.Lost Luggage Scavenger Hunt. Keep your eyes open — LEGO luggage tags are being hidden within the San Diego Convention Center daily, July 23-26. Find one and return it to the LEGO booth to claim a prize package, including exclusive brand artwork commissioned for San Diego Comic-Con 2026.Travel souvenirs to take home from your journey. Visitors can collect limited-edition boarding passes, exclusive LEGO Travel Guides, destination postcards and IP-themed travel stickers in-booth — all designed to commemorate the trip long after the show floor closes.

More Information 

All products on display at the show, including LEGO set reveals, can be found at LEGO.com/san-diego-comic-con. For more information on the LEGO Group activities at San Diego Comic-Con, contact press@america.lego.com. 

Notes to Editor 

Product Information

LEGO® Icons Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701™ Bridge (11385)

Age Grade: 18+MSRP: $199.99Piece Count: 1,701Global Launch Date: September 1, 2027 (available for pre-order now) at LEGO Stores and LEGO.comDescription: Set course for a voyage of creativity with the LEGO® Icons Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701™ Bridge building set for adults. Recreate the iconic bridge and transporter room that served as the backdrop for epic scenes aboard the legendary starship. Rock the captain’s chair to simulate ship turbulence and turn a dial to beam crew members. Includes eight iconic Star Trek character Minifigures.

LEGO® Donkey Kong™ Arcade (72051)

Age Grade: 18+MSRP: $199.99Piece Count: 1367Global Launch Date: August 1, 2026 at LEGO Stores and select retailersDescription: Join Jumpman on the construction site again with this LEGO® brick model of the iconic Donkey Kong™ arcade game. Pull the lever for Donkey Kong to ‘throw’ barrels one after the other. Move Jumpman with the joystick and press the button to make him leap over the barrels. This set pays homage to the original Donkey Kong arcade cabinet game and makes a fun, nostalgic addition to your game room.

LEGO® Minifigures Shrek Series (71053)

Age Grade: 6+MSRP: $4.99Piece Count: 7Global Launch Date: September 1, 2026 at LEGO Stores and select retailersDescription: Enjoy movie adventures with LEGO® Minifigures Shrek Series mystery boxes. There are 12 detailed characters to collect, including Shrek, Fiona and Donkey, Puss in Boots, Prince Charming, Big Bad Wolf and Lord Farquaad and most come with at least one accessory. Expand your Minifigure collection or use them to play out your favorite scenes from the DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek films. Open your box and find out who’s inside!

About the LEGO Group

The LEGO Group’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine.

The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name derived from the two Danish words Leg Godt, which mean “Play Well”.

Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund. Its products are now sold in more than 130 countries worldwide. For more information: www.LEGO.com.

About The Pokémon Company International

The Pokémon Company International manages the Pokémon property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, please visit www.pokemon.co.uk.

STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.

About Paramount Products & Experiences

Paramount Products & Experiences oversees all licensing, merchandising, and location-based experiences for Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY), a leading next generation global media and entertainment company. The division brings to life iconic franchises and beloved characters through innovative products and immersive experiences across categories including toys, apparel, publishing, food and beverage, theme parks, hotels, cruises, attractions, and live entertainment. Its global portfolio is powered by content from brands such as Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, and Paramount+, and fan-favorite franchises like PAW Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek, and Yellowstone. To explore our range of consumer products and Paramount-branded merchandise, visit ParamountShop.com.

TM & © 2026 CBS Studios Inc. Star Trek and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

About DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek Franchise  

For the past two decades, children of all ages have been enchanted by DreamWorks Animation’s delightful, irreverent adventures of a misunderstood ogre and his ragtag group of roguish fairytale folk. Beginning with Shrek, the 2001 Academy Award® winner for Best Animated Feature, Shrek (Mike Myers), Fiona (Cameron Diaz), Donkey (Oscar® nominee Eddie Murphy), Puss in Boots (Oscar® nominee Antonio Banderas) and their signature friends, family and tormentors have grown into an indelible part of pop culture, reminding audiences around the globe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

The four Shrek franchise films have earned more than $2.9 billion worldwide, spawning a global live-touring show, an award-winning Broadway musical that earned eight Tony nominations and 12 Drama Desk nominations, plus an immersive, top-tourist destination in London and popular events and attractions across Universal Studios theme parks worldwide. 

From an astonishing consumer products campaign to imaginative digital extensions and a global animation exhibition tour, the iconic age of Shrek now enters a thrilling new era in 2027, as DreamWorks Animation reimagines this wonderous tale for a new generation with Shrek 5. Stars Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy return, now joined by Emmy winning superstar Zendaya (Dune franchise, Euphoria) as Shrek and Fiona’s daughter. 

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SOURCE The LEGO Group

SHANGHAI, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — From July 17 to 20, 2026, the World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance (WAIC 2026) was held across three venues in Shanghai — Expo, Zhangjiang, and West Bund. Under the theme “Intelligent Partners, Co-creating the Future,” the conference featured an exhibition area exceeding 100,000 square meters for the first time, drawing over 1,100 exhibiting enterprises, 3,000+ technology products on display, and 300+ global AI product debuts. Over 140 forum sessions brought together more than 1,400 Chinese and international guests to discuss the frontier of AI technology, industrial deployment, and global governance.

eSign.AI showcased its dual-engine lineup at WAIC 2026: the AI-native electronic signature and contract intelligence platform, alongside VeriAgent.AI, a trusted digital agent infrastructure — presenting the latest practices in digital trust for the AI era. The demonstrations spanned end-to-end AI-driven contract workflows (drafting, review, signing, and compliance auditing) and trusted identity and behavior governance for AI Agents. eSign.AI Founder and CEO Jin Hongzhou was also invited to speak at the “Enterprise AI Agent: Evolution and Commercial Deployment” forum on July 20, joining industry leaders to explore pathways for commercializing AI Agents in vertical industries.

Live Demo: Natural-Language Signing and AI Contract Review at WAIC

At the WAIC “Enterprise AI Agent: Evolution and Commercial Deployment” forum, Jin Hongzhou unveiled the underlying technical architecture of the eSign.AI electronic signature platform for the first time: a hybrid deployment model combining six vertical small models with one general-purpose large model.

“Take contract information extraction as an example. We trained a specialized model for this specific scenario rather than relying on a large model — driven by both cost considerations and demands for precision and domain expertise.”

The architecture has been validated at production scale: intelligent contract review achieves 98% accuracy, outperforming general-purpose large models by approximately 10 percentage points, with daily AI calls exceeding 10 million. eSign.AI’s AI-related revenue surpassed RMB 100 million in 2025.

At the eSign.AI exhibition booth, the team demonstrated the full contract workflow driven by natural-language commands: a single voice or text instruction triggered contract drafting, AI-powered risk clause flagging, bilingual (Chinese-English) summary generation, and multi-party visualized signing — without any manual clicks. Additionally, VeriAgent.AI’s Agent identity registration and dynamic permission granting were demonstrated live, showing the complete closed loop of an AI Agent obtaining a JIT (just-in-time) short-term identity credential, executing signing operations, and automatically generating tamper-proof audit logs.

From eSignGlobal to eSign.AI: Contract Automation Powered by Natural Language

eSign.AI’s brand evolution traces back to April 2026, when its predecessor eSignGlobal officially rebranded to eSign.AI in Hong Kong. According to the company’s rebranding announcement, this was “not a cosmetic change” — the electronic signature platform has evolved into an AI-native contract automation platform covering the entire workflow: drafting, routing, signing, compliance tracking, and post-execution management.

A key differentiator is AI Agent Integration (eSign Automation): enterprises can complete online contract signing through natural language interactions, with no manual steps required. Whether for single-party signing, multi-party sequential signing, or large-scale parallel execution, an AI Agent can orchestrate the entire workflow in a single API call, with all signing initiations and status queries returning structured JSON output. This capability is now integrated into the OpenClaw ecosystem and supports platforms including Claude MCP and ChatGPT.

VeriAgent.AI: Trusted Identity Infrastructure for AI Agents

At WAIC 2026, eSign.AI unveiled VeriAgent.AI, positioned as a trusted execution infrastructure for enterprise Agents and digital employees, offering six core capabilities: digital agent identity management, dynamic authorization engine (JIT short-term credentials), full-chain behavior auditing, prompt injection security guardrails, skill safety certification, and allowlist management.

During the conference, Jin Hongzhou forecast that the number of AI Agents could be 100 to 1,000 times that of humans, with To Agent (ToA) transactions potentially accounting for over 80% of total transaction volume. Agent trust infrastructure is rapidly moving from concept to an industry imperative. VeriAgent.AI has released its CLI tool through the open-source community, with support for mainstream AI platforms including Claude MCP and ChatGPT.

100+ Countries Covered, Local Teams Across Three Cities

The eSign.AI electronic signature platform serves over 100 countries and regions, with 1,500+ scenario applications and 3,000+ ecosystem partners. The company is headquartered in Hong Kong SAR as its international business hub, with permanent offices and local teams in Singapore and Malaysia, delivering localized service and technical support to enterprises across the Asia-Pacific region.

Five independent data centers are deployed globally, with three key nodes — Hong Kong, Singapore, and Frankfurt — supporting international operations and meeting data sovereignty requirements across jurisdictions, with full-stack HTTPS and AES-256 encryption.

In Southeast Asia, eSign.AI has completed integrations with multiple local Trust Service Providers (TSPs) and identity authentication platforms: integration with Indonesian TSP Vinotek is complete; iAM Smart identity verification is integrated in Hong Kong; and Singpass digital identity is integrated in Singapore, enabling locally compliant signing.

As an electronic signature platform, eSign.AI supports all three signing levels — SES (Standard Electronic Signature), AES (Advanced Electronic Signature), and QES (Qualified Electronic Signature) — with partnerships spanning 50+ global Trust Service Providers (TSPs), covering major regulatory frameworks including the U.S. ESIGN Act/UETA, EU eIDAS, HIPAA, GDPR, and FDA 21 CFR Part 11. Signing notifications are available in 16 languages.

eSign.AI holds ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and ISO 27018 international certifications. On the regulatory front, the company obtained its CA license in September 2024, becoming the first electronic signature enterprise to successfully apply under the new electronic certification industry management regulations.

Replacing DocuSign / Adobe Sign in Southeast Asia: eSign.AI’s Differentiated Advantages

Across Southeast Asia, an increasing number of enterprises are evaluating or have initiated migration from international electronic signature platforms such as DocuSign and Adobe Sign toward solutions better adapted to local requirements. eSign.AI delivers significant differentiation in the following dimensions:

Richer Signing Capabilities. Beyond standard single-instance signing, eSign.AI natively supports enterprise-grade high-frequency scenarios — batch sending, batch signing, signing sequence configuration, and scheduled dispatch — without additional development or third-party tools. For manufacturing, retail, and other industries requiring large-scale signing of employment contracts and distribution agreements across Southeast Asia, batch capabilities alone reduce operational time by over 60%.

Deep Localized Compliance. With permanent teams in Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, and Malaysia, eSign.AI has completed integrations with local TSPs and identity platforms including  Vinotek (Indonesia), iAM Smart (Hong Kong SAR), and Singpass (Singapore), supporting data sovereignty requirements across jurisdictions. By comparison, DocuSign and Adobe Sign offer relatively limited localized compliance support in Southeast Asia, particularly in data localization and native identity authentication integration.

Faster Localized Service Response. eSign.AI’s permanent offices and local technical support teams in Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, and Malaysia deliver same-time-zone, bilingual (Chinese/English) technical response and customer success services. From requirements alignment to solution deployment, from TSP integration to compliance advisory, local teams respond within hours rather than relying on cross-time-zone handoffs with overseas headquarters. For Southeast Asian enterprises — particularly Chinese companies expanding overseas — this translates into shorter deployment cycles, more flexible customization, and more efficient incident resolution.

More Competitive Cost Structure. Independent data center deployment and localized operations teams effectively reduce service delivery costs, enabling eSign.AI to offer more competitive pricing in the Southeast Asian market, with advantages especially pronounced in high-frequency signing and batch processing scenarios.

Industry Context: The E-Signature Market Is Accelerating

According to Grand View Research and other agencies, the global digital signature market is projected to reach USD 9.4 billion in 2026, with a CAGR exceeding 22%. AI contract review technology has been shown to reduce contract review time by 72%–80%, and approximately 68% of enterprises plan to increase their use of digital signatures in 2026. In Southeast Asia, electronic signature regulations in countries including Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia continue to mature, and the demand for digitalization of cross-border trade presents significant growth opportunities for electronic signature platforms.

Intelligent Partners, Co-creating the Future

As an exemplar of this year’s WAIC theme “Intelligent Partners, Co-creating the Future,” eSign.AI demonstrates the path of AI moving from tool to partner: when contract review, signing execution, and compliance auditing can all be autonomously completed by AI Agents, what enterprises truly need is no longer more software but a trusted intelligent partner — one that knows who you are, knows what it can do, and ensures every action leaves an auditable trail.

To date, eSign.AI has served over 100 Fortune Global 500 clients and more than 200 Fortune China 500 clients, continuing to deliver a trusted electronic signature infrastructure for the digital transformation of enterprises worldwide through technological innovation and global compliance capabilities.

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SOURCE eSign.AI

Inaugural Index scores India’s GCC ecosystem at 61.9, revealing that 83% of GCCs are mission-critical to their enterprises, while only 17% have full decision-making and budget authority

BENGALURU, India, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As part of their strategic collaboration to advance the future of India’s Global Capability Center (GCC) ecosystem, ANSR and HFS Research today announced the findings of the inaugural HFS GCC Generative Enterprise Market Pulse study, including the introduction of the HFS Generative GCC Index, a new benchmark for measuring GCC maturity and readiness for the Generative Enterprise era. Developed using HFS Research’s independent research methodology and informed by insights from senior GCC leaders across ANSR’s enterprise network, the study examines how India’s Global Capability Centers (GCCs) are evolving from traditional delivery and shared services operations into enterprise transformation and innovation engines.

The inaugural HFS Generative GCC Index places India’s GCC ecosystem at a score of 61.9, positioning the ecosystem at the entry point of the Transformation Partner stage in the HFS GCC maturity framework. The findings demonstrate how decisively GCCs have moved beyond their back-office and cost-arbitrage origins, while highlighting a critical challenge: their strategic importance is growing significantly faster than the authority and ownership being transferred to them.

Drawing on responses from 47 leading GCC leaders across India—primarily from ANSR’s enterprise network—and applying HFS Research’s independent research methodology, the HFS GCC Generative Enterprise Market Pulse study assesses GCC maturity across dimensions including role, work, ownership, AI, talent, operating models, innovation, and ecosystem engagement.

The research finds that 83% of GCCs are considered mission-critical to their enterprises, yet only 17% have full ownership of strategic decisions and budgets. This gap between accountability and authority represents one of the biggest barriers preventing GCCs from progressing from Transformation Partners to true Generative Enterprises.

“Partnering with HFS Research on the inaugural HFS GCC Generative Enterprise Market Pulse study reflects our shared commitment to bringing objective, data-driven insights to the evolution of India’s GCC ecosystem,” said Vikram Ahuja, Co-Founder, ANSR and CEO, 1Wrk. “India’s GCCs have decisively moved beyond their origins as delivery and capability centers to become strategic engines of enterprise transformation, innovation and growth. The next chapter will be defined not by how many people GCCs employ or how many locations they operate, but by the outcomes they own. As AI reshapes the enterprise, GCCs have an unprecedented opportunity to take on greater ownership and shape how global businesses innovate and compete. Unlocking that opportunity requires enterprises to give GCC leaders greater decision rights and the mandate to orchestrate talent, technology and ecosystems at scale.”

“India’s GCCs should take the 61.9 score as a milestone and a warning at the same time,” said Achyuta Ghosh, Executive Research Leader, HFS Research. “Two decades of transformation have earned some of them a seat at the enterprise table. Our data shows that AI adoption alone will not move them forward. AI at scale must be combined with ownership, decision authority, and ecosystem orchestration to define the Generative Enterprise era.”

Seven insights defining the next era of India’s GCCs

The HFS Generative GCC Index identifies seven shifts shaping the evolution of the sector:

The shared services identity is fading fast. Only 17% of GCCs describe themselves primarily as Shared Services Centers. Digital Transformation and Engineering Hubs (38%) and AI/Data/Automation Centers of Excellence (34%) are increasingly defining the modern GCC.AI/ML is the fastest-growing GCC capability. More than half (55%) of GCC leaders expanded their AI/ML capabilities over the past 18 months, while 43% expanded data engineering and analytics capabilities, reflecting a broader shift toward intelligent decision-making and enterprise-wide transformation.GCCs are increasingly accountable for measurable business outcomes. As GCC mandates shift from operational delivery to enterprise outcomes, 51% of leaders report that the value delivered by AI/automation is the largest measure of GCC business impact, ahead of productivity and cost efficiency.AI adoption is accelerating, but operating models have yet to catch up. While 95% of GCCs have AI initiatives underway, few have fundamentally redesigned their operating models around AI. The greatest value today is being realized in software development productivity, business process automation and decision intelligence.End-to-end ownership is the single biggest maturity multiplier. GCCs with end-to-end product ownership lift the index score by 56% than execution-only centers. The findings signal a shift from measuring GCC success through headcount and scale toward measuring the products, platforms, intellectual property, and business outcomes they own.A significant empowerment gap persists. Despite being mission-critical to 83% of enterprises, only 17% of GCCs have full decision-making and budget authority. The study argues that enterprises must align authority with accountability if GCCs are expected to lead transformation and AI-driven innovation.Ecosystem orchestration remains a major untapped opportunity. With more than $45 billion in AI infrastructure investment being built in India, GCC engagement with the wider innovation ecosystem remains limited. While 34% collaborate with consulting and services providers and 26% engage hyperscalers, 32% report no major ecosystem engagement. Collaboration with startups, universities and research institutions also remains relatively low.

Together, these findings point to a fundamental transition in the GCC model. India’s GCCs have largely established themselves as enterprise transformation partners, but progressing toward the Generative Enterprise will require organizations to move beyond incremental AI adoption and focus on AI-native operating models, end-to-end ownership, leadership empowerment and deeper ecosystem orchestration.

The Index concludes that the next phase of GCC maturity will depend less on adding headcount and locations and more on fundamentally changing what GCCs are empowered to own. Enterprises that transfer meaningful decision rights, build AI-native operating models and enable their GCCs to orchestrate external innovation ecosystems will be best positioned to transform their centers from Transformation Partners into Generative Enterprise hubs.

The HFS GCC Generative Enterprise Market Pulse study combines HFS Research’s independent market expertise with ANSR’s deep engagement across India’s Global Capability Center ecosystem.

About HFS Research

HFS Research is a leading global research and advisory firm helping Fortune 500 companies navigate IT and business transformation. With a focus on bold insights and practical strategies, HFS empowers enterprises to make confident decisions through deep research, demand-side data, and direct engagement with industry leaders. For more information, visit www.hfsresearch.com.

About ANSR

ANSR is the definitive global leader in establishing and operating Global Capability Centers. With over 225 GCCs established for more than 100 Fortune 500 companies across key innovation hubs in India, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia, ANSR combines unparalleled strategic insight, proven execution capabilities, and proprietary technology solutions to help enterprises build and grow their global teams. As pioneers of the GCC as a Service (GaaS) model and creators of the revolutionary 1Wrk platform, ANSR continues to redefine how enterprises achieve operational excellence and accelerate their digital transformation journeys. With over a decade of experience and a team of seasoned GCC experts, ANSR delivers predictable outcomes that enable enterprises to gain competitive advantage through their global capability centers. To know more www.ansr.com 

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