India’s Global Capability Centre (GCC) ecosystem is better positioned than many global markets to absorb the impact of artificial intelligence, but sustaining that advantage will require sustained investments in talent development, according to Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran.
Speaking at an industry gathering, the CEA said AI is expected to alter the nature of work across GCCs rather than trigger widespread job losses. He noted that India’s centres have steadily evolved from handling back-office operations to driving product engineering, digital innovation, analytics and research, making them inherently more resilient to technological disruption.
Nageswaran cautioned, however, that resilience should not be mistaken for immunity. As AI capabilities continue to advance, organisations will need to prepare employees for changing job roles by embedding continuous learning into their workforce strategies. According to him, the next phase of GCC growth will depend as much on human capability as technological adoption.
The comments come as enterprises across the world accelerate investments in generative AI to improve productivity, automate routine tasks and enhance decision-making. While fears of workforce displacement persist globally, industry leaders increasingly believe AI will redefine roles instead of eliminating them outright, particularly in knowledge-intensive sectors.
India’s GCC industry has emerged as one of the country’s fastest-growing technology segments, attracting multinational corporations looking to build global engineering, AI, cybersecurity, cloud and data capabilities. The sector’s ability to deliver specialised expertise has gradually shifted its role from a cost-efficiency model to one centred on innovation and strategic business outcomes.
Against this backdrop, the CEA said government initiatives have created a favourable environment for the sector’s continued expansion, but emphasised that maintaining India’s competitive edge will ultimately depend on industry-led investments in reskilling and innovation. Organisations that proactively prepare employees to work alongside AI, he suggested, are likely to emerge stronger than those relying solely on technological adoption.
The observations reinforce a broader shift taking place across enterprise technology. AI is no longer viewed merely as a tool for automation; it is increasingly becoming a catalyst for redesigning workflows, redefining skills and creating new opportunities for high-value work. For India’s GCC ecosystem, the challenge is not simply adopting AI faster, but ensuring its workforce evolves at the same pace.
As multinational companies continue to expand their India operations, the country’s talent advantage is expected to remain central to its GCC growth story. The next chapter, however, will be shaped less by the availability of skilled professionals and more by how effectively organisations help them acquire the capabilities required for an AI-driven future.
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