With India emerging as a thriving hub for next-generation GCCs, the narrative has swiftly moved beyond cost arbitrage and employment generation. Jaspreet Singh, Partner and GCC leader, Grant Thorton Bharat, in an exclusive interaction with Sugandh Vij, Assistant Editor CXO Media and APAC Media, highlights the scenario of today’s GCCs, which have become strategic value creators, leveraging data, digital capabilities, and global mandates to drive innovation, transformation, and leadership at scale.
According to ANSR report of 2025, “over 67% of Fortune Global 30 and 174 of the Fortune 500 establishing GCCs in India,” so what, in your view, makes India such a compelling destination for global capability centres today—and how do you see the role of Indian GCCs evolving beyond cost and scale to drive innovation, transformation, and strategic value?
India’s appeal as a destination for Global Capability Centres (GCCs) extends far beyond traditional cost advantages. It lies at the intersection of talent, technology, and trust. The country boasts one of the world’s largest digitally fluent workforces, with deep specialisation across cloud, AI, cybersecurity, and product engineering. This talent pool is continually fed by top-tier institutions and enhanced by national skilling missions and corporate academies, making India a global digital powerhouse.
What differentiates India today is the strategic evolution of its GCCs. They are no longer confined to transactional delivery. Instead, they are taking end-to-end ownership of global product lines, designing customer experiences, and even driving sustainability agendas. For instance, Lowe’s Innovation Lab in Bengaluru is pioneering spatial computing in retail, while Bosch’s India centre leads the company’s global EV R&D.
Further, the governance models of Indian GCCs have matured. Leaders are now entrusted with global mandates, including product lifecycle ownership, risk management, and compliance. These roles are not just operational—they are strategic, influencing decisions at the boardroom level.
India also offers proximity to innovation ecosystems. Its thriving startup hubs in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune allow GCCs to co-innovate through partnerships, accelerators, and corporate venture programs. Moreover, with strong data protection laws like DPDPA and maturing cyber governance, global enterprises find India a secure and scalable partner.
As a result, India is not just hosting GCCs—it’s shaping them. Enterprises increasingly see Indian centres as the “nerve centres” of global operations, trusted to lead digital transformation, unlock new business models, and deliver competitive advantage at scale.
The presence of 20 out of the Fortune Global 30 companies with GCCs in India reflects growing confidence in India’s ability to manage scale, complexity, and transformation agendas. In your view, what impact is this having on the evolution of India’s talent ecosystem? And beyond the traditional cost advantage, what intrinsic value propositions—such as innovation capacity, digital readiness, or leadership depth—are driving global enterprises to deepen their GCC investments in India?
The growing strategic depth of Indian GCCs is fundamentally reshaping the country’s talent ecosystem. From a workforce once focused on transactional tasks, there is now a rising demand for professionals skilled in end-to-end product ownership, agile program management, and cross-functional leadership. This shift is driving a wave of upskilling and reskilling, both at the individual and institutional levels.
Enterprises such as SAP, Mastercard, and Goldman Sachs have launched accelerator programs within their India GCCs to build deep skills in blockchain, AI ethics, and cybersecurity. The demand for “T-shaped” professionals—those who combine technical depth with business acumen—is pushing India’s workforce towards higher-value roles. This is transforming India into a leadership pipeline, not just a delivery destination.
There’s also a shift in how global enterprises structure leadership in India. Increasingly, Indian GCC heads are being given global mandates—owning P&Ls, regulatory governance, and enterprise-wide transformations. This decentralisation of authority not only empowers local teams but also strengthens the trust and interdependence between India and the global headquarters.
Furthermore, India’s maturing innovation infrastructure is another intrinsic advantage. Proximity to elite academic institutions and vibrant startup ecosystems provides a seamless bridge between enterprise and experimentation. Qualcomm’s AI lab in Hyderabad and Mercedes-Benz’s R&D tech centre in Bengaluru are a testament to how R&D and product innovation thrive in India’s GCCs.
These factors elevate the conversation from cost arbitrage to strategic value. India is no longer a support node—it is central to how global enterprises build resilience, foster innovation, and shape the future of their digital-first businesses.
As Indian GCCs evolve to house senior leaders with global P&L accountability and lead Centres of Excellence in areas like AI, GenAI, cybersecurity, and product engineering—how do you see this redefining India’s position in the global enterprise value chain? What strategic shifts are you observing in how GCCs are being structured, governed, and empowered today?
The growing presence of senior global leadership within India-based GCCs is reshaping the country’s role in the enterprise value chain—from being a spoke to becoming a strategic hub. When global heads of product, risk, or compliance sit out of India, it marks a shift in trust and operational design. Enterprises now see India not just as an execution site but as a source of leadership, strategy, and transformation.
This is reflected in the structural redesign of GCCs. Many now function as “mini-corporations,” managing end-to-end budgets, setting product roadmaps, and owning global OKRs. Walmart Global Tech, for example, plays a pivotal role in shaping omnichannel customer experience across geographies from its India hub.
The rise of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in domains such as generative AI, cybersecurity, and product engineering further reinforces India’s repositioning. These CoEs don’t just develop code—they influence policy, define architecture, and co-create IP with global teams. India’s GenAI hubs are increasingly integrated into global innovation councils and regulatory think tanks.
Governance, too, has matured. Indian GCCs are no longer measured purely on efficiency KPIs—they are evaluated based on strategic outcomes and customer impact. GCCs now participate in enterprise-wide steering committees, and leaders from India are driving agenda-setting conversations at the global level.
This evolution marks a fundamental reclassification: India is transitioning from a talent aggregator to a value architect. As GCCs gain autonomy, alignment, and accountability, India’s role becomes indispensable—not just to cost optimisation but to innovation velocity, leadership depth, and global transformation.
The role of Indian GCCs has transcended traditional back-office functions. What is your take on the same and how is it housing 100s and lakhs of vacancies when clearly employees are outrightly expecting hybrid work functions?
The surge in hiring across Indian GCCs, despite widespread employee preference for hybrid work models, underscores a deeper transformation underway. The modern GCC is no longer a back-office entity—it’s a strategic node driving digital innovation, customer experience, and product development. The spike in demand for skilled professionals reflects this evolution, not a contradiction to workforce expectations.
Today’s roles require expertise in data science, cloud engineering, cybersecurity, and human-centreed design—functions that are central to business strategy, not just execution. PepsiCo’s India GCC, for example, now leads global analytics and insights that shape decisions across the supply chain and marketing. Such mandates require scaled teams, cross-functional pods, and deep domain expertise.
Employees, meanwhile, are increasingly demanding autonomy and flexibility. Top-performing GCCs have responded by adopting hybrid work cultures based on trust, digital productivity tools, and clear performance metrics. Firms enforcing rigid return-to-office mandates without elevating employee experience face high attrition and reputational risk.
Interestingly, this hybrid evolution has unlocked new workforce strategies. GCCs are tapping into tier-2 cities, gig networks, and global diaspora talent to fill vacancies, while maintaining productivity. Satellite hubs, cloud-based collaboration, and virtual delivery centres have expanded the talent funnel and improved diversity.
This hiring trend signals not a mismatch, but a reimagined delivery model—distributed, digital-first, and centred on value creation. India’s GCCs are becoming “talent factories” that offer career acceleration, global exposure, and innovation opportunities. They are not resisting hybrid—they are redesigning work itself. This new model balances enterprise agility with workforce expectations, making Indian GCCs both aspirational employers and global growth engines.
India’s GCCs are said to have entered the GCC 8.0 phase—an era where they are no longer limited to support functions but are emerging as industry benchmark setters and growth catalysts. How do you interpret this transformation in practical terms? What factors have enabled GCCs to integrate so effectively with the broader innovation ecosystem—startups, digital platforms, and new-age talent—and how is this convergence reshaping the way global enterprises view India’s strategic role in their global operating models?
The term “GCC 8.0” represents a strategic leap—from cost-efficient delivery hubs to globally integrated, innovation-led growth engines. In practice, it signals that Indian GCCs are now central to how global enterprises design, pilot, and scale new-age business models.
These are no longer support centres. GCCs now house AI labs, product engineering squads, ESG strategy teams, and digital transformation hubs. AstraZeneca’s India GCC, for instance, played a pivotal role in developing AI-powered clinical tools during the pandemic. AB InBev collaborates with Indian agritech startups through its GCC to digitise its supply chain. Such examples show how deeply integrated Indian GCCs are in core business functions.
This transformation has been catalysed by three forces. First, seamless integration with India’s vibrant startup ecosystem enables rapid prototyping and ecosystem innovation. GCCs now co-fund accelerators, run corporate venture arms, and source IP from SaaS disruptors. Initiatives like Google’s ScaleUp and Microsoft’s 100X100 are examples of this new collaboration fabric.
Second, India’s digital infrastructure and regulatory reforms have made it a sandbox for scalable innovation—whether in AI, fintech, or sustainability. Enterprises use India to test products in a live, diverse market before global rollouts.
Third, leadership maturity in India has fast-tracked this journey. With CXOs and global function heads based out of India, decision-making is faster, and innovation cycles are shorter.
This convergence of startups, digital platforms, and empowered leadership is reshaping India’s position from a cost centre to a core innovation node. GCC 8.0 is not just a phase—it is the new normal, where India becomes indispensable to enterprise strategy, resilience, and competitive differentiation.
GCCs frequently encounter inefficiencies in their processes. What are the best practices to enhance their process efficiency?
Improving process efficiency in GCCs demands more than automation—it requires a systemic shift in how processes are designed, governed, and continuously improved. Inefficiencies often stem from legacy structures, fragmented tools, and a lack of alignment between local execution and global expectations.
A foundational step is conducting end-to-end process mapping and value stream analysis. Using methodologies like Lean Six Sigma and Design Thinking, GCCs can identify bottlenecks, eliminate redundancies, and reduce handoff delays. For instance, an insurance GCC reduced claims processing time by 35% by reengineering its intake workflow with RPA and cognitive OCR.
Digitisation is critical—but it must be grounded in strong governance. Standardising documentation, deploying intelligent workflows, and using low-code platforms ensures replicability and agility. Intelligent triaging through AI and auto-resolution engines can drive significant efficiency gains in service operations.
Establishing a Process Centre of Excellence (CoE) is another best practice. These centralised hubs align automation, compliance, and reengineering across functions—enabling consistent execution and faster scaling. Companies like Wells Fargo and American Express have built such CoEs in their India GCCs, which serve as productivity engines across global business units.
Process telemetry and real-time dashboards are also crucial. Tracking KPIs such as SLA adherence, exception rates, and cycle times in real time allows GCCs to proactively intervene and course-correct. When combined with AI-driven root cause analysis, these insights power continuous optimisation.
Finally, efficiency must be a mindset. Embedding OKRs, incentivising process improvement, and fostering cross-functional collaboration create a culture where teams are not just executing tasks but constantly refining them. In today’s complex enterprise landscape, GCCs that excel in process orchestration are those that treat efficiency as a strategy, not a metric.
How would you advise operational orchestration in a GCC to ensure efficient resource allocation?
As GCCs take on more critical roles—especially in regulated sectors like BFSI, pharma, and telecom—their ability to embed compliance and manage operational risk becomes a strategic differentiator. The key is to shift from a reactive, checklist-based approach to a proactive, embedded compliance model.
First, governance frameworks must be globally aligned yet locally contextual. Leading GCCs co-create compliance playbooks with their headquarters, translating complex regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, India’s DPDPA) into operational checkpoints embedded across workflows. This ensures consistency without losing relevance.
For example, a GCC supporting EU markets must operationalise data privacy by integrating tools like Collibra or BigID into data pipelines. These tools automate lineage tracking, consent management, and breach protocols—ensuring both transparency and auditability.
Operational risk management must run in parallel. The 3 Lines of Defence (3LoD) model is best practice: operations own risk, risk teams provide oversight, and internal audit ensures independent assurance. When digitised using GRC platforms like Archer, LogicGate, or MetricStream, this model drives accountability, real-time alerts, and better issue resolution.
Many GCCs are also establishing cross-functional “risk squads” that blend legal, compliance, ops, and tech expertise. These teams anticipate regulatory changes, assess process vulnerabilities, and recommend controls before issues arise. For instance, a pharma GCC used predictive analytics to identify and mitigate supply chain risks tied to evolving trade compliance norms.
Culture is the glue. Frequent training, scenario-based simulations, and risk certifications for employees instil a culture of vigilance. High-performing GCCs also link risk KPIs to leadership scorecards, making risk ownership a shared responsibility.
Ultimately, compliance and risk aren’t just safeguards—they are enablers of trust. GCCs that embed these capabilities into their DNA not only meet regulations—they become the trusted custodians of enterprise integrity and continuity on a global stage.
How would GCCs comply with regulatory compliance and manage operational risks simultaneously?
As GCCs take on enterprise-critical functions—especially in heavily regulated industries like BFSI, healthcare, and telecom—their ability to simultaneously manage compliance and operational risk becomes a strategic imperative. The traditional approach of treating compliance as a parallel track is no longer sustainable. The solution lies in embedding compliance frameworks into everyday operations, turning governance into a value enabler rather than a constraint.
First, compliance playbooks should be both globally standardised and locally contextualised. GCCs must work closely with headquarters to translate regulatory frameworks (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, India’s DPDPA) into executable process checkpoints. These can be embedded into workflows using automated tools like Collibra, OneTrust, or BigID—ensuring data lineage, consent management, and privacy by design are not afterthoughts but operational defaults.
To address operational risk, progressive GCCs adopt the Three Lines of Defence (3LoD) model—where business teams own risk, compliance teams monitor it, and internal audit provides independent assurance. When integrated into GRC platforms like Archer, LogicGate, or MetricStream, this model creates a single source of truth across functions.
Moreover, GCCs are building cross-functional “risk squads” that proactively monitor evolving regulations and cyber threats, simulate risk scenarios, and drive remediation plans. For example, a pharma GCC deployed AI models to identify supply chain disruptions related to regulatory changes in export laws, enabling faster business continuity planning.
Equally important is building a compliance-first culture. Frequent training, digital certifications, and gamified risk awareness programs help democratize responsibility across the organisation. High-performing GCCs also align risk metrics with leadership KPIs to ensure accountability.
By integrating compliance and risk into the operational DNA, GCCs go beyond mere adherence—they become enterprise guardians of trust, reputation, and resilience in a volatile regulatory landscape.
