Medical device maker Zimmer Biomet plans to hire 500 employees over the next three years as it expands its newly opened technology centre in Bengaluru, underscoring India’s growing role as a global hub for healthcare technology and innovation.

The U.S.-listed company said the new hires will span software engineering, product design, research and development (R&D), quality, regulatory affairs, finance, and other business functions. Around two-thirds of the positions will be technology-focused, according to Jehanzeb Noor, Chief Strategy, Business Development, Innovation and Transformation Officer.

Noor said the company is not constrained in its hiring plans and indicated the Bengaluru workforce could eventually grow to thousands as the centre expands.

The new facility will serve as a global capability centre (GCC), supporting Zimmer Biomet’s worldwide operations and product development. The company manufactures orthopaedic implants for knee, hip, and shoulder replacements, along with robotic-assisted surgical systems and other musculoskeletal care technologies used across major markets, including the United States, Europe, and Japan.

Artificial intelligence will be a key focus of the Bengaluru centre, with teams developing technologies for robotics, surgical planning, software engineering, and research and development. According to Chief Information and Technology Officer Shaun Braun, the company aims to bring together multidisciplinary teams to accelerate innovation and deliver new technologies for surgeons, care teams, and patients.

The investment reflects a broader shift across the healthcare industry, where medical technology companies are increasingly integrating artificial intelligence into product development and clinical workflows. AI is being used to improve surgical planning, enhance robotic-assisted procedures, analyse clinical data, and accelerate the design and validation of new medical devices.

Zimmer Biomet’s expansion also mirrors a wider trend of multinational healthcare companies expanding their engineering and innovation operations in India. Companies such as Novo Nordisk, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Medtronic, and Philips have established or expanded global capability centres in the country to support software development, R&D, regulatory affairs, clinical data analysis, and digital health initiatives.

India has become an increasingly attractive destination for these centres due to its large pool of engineering, software, life sciences, and regulatory talent. As a result, healthcare companies are assigning Indian teams to higher-value activities beyond traditional support functions, including product innovation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud engineering, and digital transformation.

Industry analysts expect this trend to continue. According to global capability centre consulting firm ANSR, revenue generated by India’s GCC sector is projected to reach $84 billion in the financial year ending 2026, representing annual growth of approximately 12%.

The Bengaluru expansion further strengthens the city’s position as one of India’s leading healthcare technology hubs, where multinational medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, and digital health startups are increasingly investing in advanced research and engineering capabilities.

For Zimmer Biomet, the investment is expected to support the development of next-generation medical technologies while reinforcing India’s strategic role in the company’s global innovation network. The hiring initiative also reflects the growing convergence of medical devices, software engineering, robotics, and artificial intelligence as healthcare companies seek to improve patient outcomes and accelerate product development.