JAMMU: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu, in collaboration with the Government of Jammu and Kashmir and with NASSCOM as knowledge partner, is set to host the J&K GCC Summit 2026 on October 9 and 10, bringing together global industry leaders, policymakers, investors and academic experts to explore the Union Territory’s potential as a destination for Global Capability Centres (GCCs).
The two-day summit, to be held at Mandapam, IIM Jammu, is centred on the theme “Unlocking J&K’s GCC Potential for Building Growth Ecosystem & Catalyzing Investment.” More than 300 delegates, around 45 companies and over 55 industry leaders are expected to participate, according to IIM Jammu Director Professor B. S. Sahay.
Addressing a press conference ahead of the summit on Thursday, Professor Sahay said the initiative was aimed at creating awareness about Jammu and Kashmir’s potential to attract GCCs and facilitating meaningful engagement between industry and the government. He clarified that the summit was not an investment summit but a platform to help organisations understand the region’s ecosystem and explore opportunities for establishing operations.
The summit will focus on how GCCs can contribute to employment generation, skill development, technological innovation and economic diversification. These centres, which increasingly undertake high-value functions such as artificial intelligence, product engineering, analytics, research and development, and other global operations, are expanding beyond major metropolitan cities into Tier-II and Tier-III locations.
Professor Sahay highlighted IIM Jammu’s role in policy formulation, capacity building and engagement with the government and industry. He said the institute was working closely with the J&K Government and had contributed to policy initiatives, including Mission YUVA, while also exploring ways to support the MSME sector.
He stressed that developing a skilled local workforce would be crucial to attracting companies and ensuring that emerging opportunities translate into employment for the youth. The summit will also facilitate business meetings and interactions between participating organisations and government representatives.
Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, Secretary, Labour and Employment Department, J&K Government, said GCCs could create significant opportunities in white-collar and knowledge-based sectors, including finance, human resources, technology and analytics. He emphasised the need to align skill development with industry requirements and said the growth of such centres could generate both direct and indirect employment.
The summit will bring together senior government officials and industry representatives, including Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, NASSCOM President Rajesh Nambiar, NIIT Chairman Rajendra Singh Pawar and other leaders from the technology, financial services, healthcare, engineering and innovation sectors.
The first day will feature discussions on industry-government collaboration, successful GCC models across India, and partnerships for investment, employment and economic growth. The second day will focus on innovation and emerging technologies, workforce transformation, talent development and a roadmap for positioning Jammu and Kashmir as a GCC destination.
A key area of deliberation will be strengthening industry-academia partnerships through industry-aligned curricula, internships, experiential learning and leadership development. Participants will also examine infrastructure readiness, regulatory facilitation, incentives, connectivity and institutional support required to build a sustainable GCC ecosystem.
Organisers expect the discussions to help develop an actionable roadmap and enabling policy framework for GCC growth in Jammu and Kashmir, with potential outcomes including memoranda of understanding, anchor investment commitments and employment proposals.
The summit will also showcase the region’s cultural heritage through “Colors of Jammu,” a cultural programme by Padma Shri awardee Balwant Thakur.
The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration among government, industry and academic institutions while creating pathways for investment, skills development, innovation and sustainable economic growth in Jammu and Kashmir.
