PwC India and PwC US are planning a major consulting joint venture that will bring together around 40,000 employees in India, creating one of the largest professional services platforms in the country.
The proposed venture will combine PwC India’s consulting business with the India-based Acceleration Centres of PwC US, bringing management consulting, technology consulting, risk advisory and specialist capabilities under one structure. The new entity is expected to be worth around $2 billion at launch, according to company executives.
The deal marks a significant change in how PwC’s India operations are organised. PwC US will hold a 50.1% stake in the joint venture, while PwC India will own 49.9%. Despite the slightly smaller equity share, PwC India will have operating control, including over the US firm’s India-based Acceleration Centres.
PwC India chairperson Sanjeev Krishan will lead the proposed entity as chief executive. The transaction still requires regulatory approvals, including clearance from the Competition Commission of India, and is expected to close in the first half of 2027.
The new company will bring together teams that have traditionally operated under different parts of the PwC network. The aim is to make it easier to combine technology, consulting, engineering and other specialist skills when serving clients.
India has become increasingly important to the global professional services industry. Its large pool of technology and business talent, relatively competitive operating costs and growing base of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) have made the country an important delivery and innovation hub for multinational companies.
PwC’s restructuring reflects that changing role. The new joint venture is expected to serve multinational companies, Indian businesses and the rapidly expanding GCC market. It will also give clients access to a wider pool of consultants and technology specialists through a single platform.
The proposed structure also comes at a critical moment for the global consulting industry. Artificial intelligence is changing the way consulting work is delivered, with companies increasingly using AI for research, data analysis, software development, process automation and other tasks that traditionally required large teams of employees.
That shift is forcing professional services firms to rethink the traditional model of providing large numbers of skilled workers to perform routine or repetitive tasks.
PwC has been investing in AI capabilities and retraining employees as the technology becomes more widely used. The new India structure is expected to help the firm combine its technology and consulting capabilities and deliver more AI-enabled services to clients.
The change could also help PwC compete more effectively on cost and speed. A more integrated operation could reduce duplication between different teams and make it easier to move work across locations and capabilities.
The proposed joint venture is expected to start with about 40,000 employees, making it a substantial part of PwC’s global workforce. The scale also underlines the growing importance of India’s professional services sector to global companies.
PwC US’s Acceleration Centres in India have traditionally provided support to its international operations. These centres employ professionals working across areas such as technology, data, engineering, cybersecurity and other specialist services.
Bringing those teams together with PwC India’s consulting operations could create a broader technology-led consulting platform. The company hopes that the combined capabilities will help it win larger projects and provide services to clients across markets.
The move also addresses an internal challenge that has affected global professional services networks: balancing the independence of national firms with the need to provide clients with seamless international services.
PwC’s member firms operate as separate legal entities in different countries. The proposed India-US structure is intended to bring some of their capabilities together while maintaining the wider PwC network structure.
The deal comes at a time when India’s consulting and technology services industries are expanding beyond traditional outsourcing. Global companies are increasingly using their Indian operations for product development, artificial intelligence, engineering, cybersecurity and research rather than simply back-office work.
That transition could create new opportunities for India’s highly skilled workforce. It also means companies will increasingly compete on specialised expertise and innovation rather than labour costs alone.
The PwC India-US joint venture is therefore more than a restructuring of consulting operations. It reflects a broader shift in the global professional services industry, where technology, AI and specialist talent are becoming central to growth.
The proposed venture will have to secure regulatory approvals before it becomes operational. If completed as planned, it will create a 40,000-strong platform with India at its operational core and a stronger focus on technology-driven consulting.
PwC’s move signals how quickly the consulting industry is adapting to the AI era. As clients demand faster, more specialised and technology-led solutions, professional services firms are increasingly looking to combine human expertise with artificial intelligence rather than rely solely on traditional consulting models.