PwC India and PwC US are set to create a new 40,000-employee consulting joint venture by combining PwC India’s consulting business with PwC US’s India-based Acceleration Centres. The move is designed to bring technology, engineering and artificial intelligence capabilities together at greater scale while strengthening India’s role in PwC’s global delivery network.
40,000 Employees to Join New Entity
The proposed joint venture will bring together the consulting operations of PwC India and the India-based Acceleration Centres (ACs) established by PwC US.
The combined entity will have around 40,000 employees at launch, making it one of the largest consulting organisations operating from India. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.
PwC India Chairperson Sanjeev Krishan will serve as the chief executive of the new entity.
India to Have Operating Control
The new venture will be jointly owned and governed by PwC India and PwC US. While PwC US will hold a majority of the voting rights, the Indian operation will take responsibility for running the joint venture.
The restructuring is intended to reduce some of the complexity created by PwC’s traditional structure, in which member firms in different countries operate as legally separate partnerships.
The two Indian operations have sometimes provided similar services or competed for the same work. Bringing them together could make it easier for PwC teams globally to access India’s talent and specialist capabilities.
AI and Technology at the Centre
The joint venture comes at a time when artificial intelligence is changing the economics of the consulting and outsourcing industry.
PwC wants to combine its technology, engineering and AI capabilities and use them to deliver services more efficiently to clients around the world.
The company is increasingly focusing on AI-enabled managed services rather than simply using India as a source of lower-cost human labour. AI can automate parts of consulting and business operations while allowing teams to handle more complex work.
PwC India has already been retraining employees and using AI to reduce delivery costs.
India Becomes an Even Bigger Global Delivery Hub
The deal reinforces India’s importance to PwC’s global operations. India offers a large pool of technology, engineering and AI professionals who can support clients across multiple time zones.
The joint venture is also expected to provide greater access to these capabilities for PwC member firms outside India, potentially allowing more work to be delivered through the Indian organisation.
PwC’s move comes as other Big Four firms are also expanding their Indian operations and increasing their use of offshore delivery centres.
A Response to a Changing Consulting Industry
The restructuring reflects a broader shift in professional services, where clients increasingly expect consulting firms to combine advice with technology implementation, managed services and AI-enabled operations.
For PwC, the new structure is intended to create a more integrated global consulting model while giving clients easier access to its capabilities regardless of where the work is performed.
Summary: PwC India and PwC US are creating a 40,000-employee consulting joint venture by combining PwC India’s consulting business with PwC US’s India-based Acceleration Centres. Sanjeev Krishan will become CEO, while PwC US will retain majority voting rights. The venture is expected to close in the first half of 2027 and will focus heavily on AI, technology and engineering capabilities.
