BENGALURU: Global capability centres (GCCs) have emerged as a boardroom imperative, making them an integral part of strategic roadmaps. The rise of India as a dominant force in the GCC landscape is evident, with projections exceeding $100 billion by 2030, according to the EY India GCC Pulse Survey 2024.
Additionally, these centres are poised to create over 2.5 million jobs across the country. These centres are delivering substantial value, accounting for 23% of India’s IT exports. The survey examines the latest trends of GCCs in India, gathering insights from 88 GCCs across various regions, industries, and functions.
Arindam Sen, partner and GCC sector leader in EY India, said it gained significant attention in recent years, becoming a boardroom priority. He said a significant shift is occurring at the highest levels of corporate leadership. The discussions about GCC have escalated beyond the CFO’s domain to include CEOs, executive committee members, and the board, becoming a critical component of business strategy. “Of the survey, India headcount represented 20% of the global workforce. As GCCs expand beyond finance, HR, and IT, they are increasingly offering knowledge-intensive services in areas such as ER&D, customer interaction, risk, marketing, and legal to unlock greater value and potential,” he said.The engineering, research, and development (ER&D) segment, accounting for over 50% of GCC’s total revenue, continues to be the vital force behind the organisation’s advancement. The EY report said 51% of GCCs’ growth is increasingly reliant on technology rather than expanding headcount, with a clear emphasis on reskilling staff in emerging areas such as AI. A significant 76% of organisations are now incorporating GCC talent into their global innovation initiatives, whilst 78% are enhancing their internal teams’ capabilities for GenAI implementation. There is particularly strong demand for business intelligence (BI) and data visualisation expertise, as these skills enable GCCs to extract meaningful insights and enhance value through data-informed decisions. The report said leadership-driven innovation culture serves as a crucial differentiator for 71% of GCCs, whilst 34% consider the cultivation of a “digital mindset” essential for enhancing workplace adaptability.The adoption of AI within GCCs in India is accelerating, with nearly 70% of centres investing in GenAI. The survey reveals that 37% of GCCs are actively piloting GenAI use cases, while 78% are upskilling their internal teams to drive GenAI adoption. According to an EY report, India’s GDP could see an additional increase of $359 billion to $438 billion through GenAI implementation by 2029-30, surpassing current baseline projections.
