As global businesses accelerate digital transformation, global capability centres (GCCs) are moving from support roles to becoming core drivers of enterprise strategy and innovation.
According to Shalini Pillay, Partner & India Leader – Global Capability Centers at KPMG India, GCCs are now deeply embedded in how global organisations operate. “Global capability centers today actually sit at the core of what is enabling the global enterprise. As global organisations embrace technology, digitalise their business value chains, and look at newer models in business, GCC’s are at a very unique vantage point where they pull together what sits across a global footprint, driving significant transformation,” she said.
India’s GCC ecosystem is expected to grow by nearly 70% to reach $110 billion by 2030, up from about $65 billion today. The number of centres could cross 2,500, employing close to 4.5 million professionals, according to a report by NTT DATA.
This shift is visible in how GCCs operate. Sumit Mitra, CEO of Tesco Business Solutions & Tesco India, said their centre now plays multiple roles across the organisation. “There are three things we do… areas where we are in service of the organisation, areas where we partner with the business, and areas that we lead for the organisation,” he said. The centre manages functions ranging from store design to AI, data science, analytics, and commercial contracts for 10,000 suppliers. “What are the new capabilities that you’re building for the group that can’t be found anywhere else? And that creates the differentiator and real shareholder value for the group,” he added.
The shift is also reflected in global decision-making. Vaishnavi Kudige of Northern Trust noted that conversations have moved beyond headcount. “Earlier, the conversation used to be about asking for more headcount or access to talent. Today, it’s about the work itself, with questions such as, ‘where is the best place in the world to do it?” she said. “India is no longer viewed simply as a service centre. The conversation now is whether the work sits in India, Manila, the UK, or Poland.”
AI and advanced analytics are central to this transformation. Mitra highlighted a solution built during the UK’s cost-of-living crisis. “One of the solutions we built with our data science and AI teams is what we call a cost intelligence model. Today, we have a tool that analyses nearly 30,000 products…,” he said, adding that it improved supplier negotiations and cost savings.
In regulated sectors, compliance is also shaping innovation. “We always look at it as a roadblocker, but compliance is now turbojetting innovation…,” Kudige said.
Pillay added that GCC leadership must evolve alongside these changes. “At one level, it’s clearly about doing more with a lot less…,” she said, noting that the real differentiator will come from combining deep domain expertise with technology to drive competitiveness, growth, and faster go-to-market outcomes.
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