India based automotive GCCs are playing a deeper role as the global auto-industry faces constant change. Supply chain stress, new propulsion technologies, rising safety and sustainability expectations are reshaping how vehicles are designed and built. Beyond adapting, these centres are helping global automakers prepare for what comes next and turn disruption into opportunity.
Industry leaders say recent shocks have forced a rethink across the value chain. Speaking to a publication, Vikas Prasad, President and Managing Director of Webasto Roof Systems India, described the shift as transformational. “This is a positive shock,” he said. “A traditional propulsion system is changing into a new propulsion system which is called EV and within EVs, there are HEVs, plug in hybrids and BEVs.” He noted that these changes are pushing suppliers to rethink weight, battery efficiency and capital investment, adding that the next five years will be critical for India.
Rohit Gupta, Regional Director for R&D at the Nexteer Automotive India Technical Centre, said “Disruptions are permanent in nature. A futuristic company will look at future proofing their supply chains so that their customers are isolated from any such shocks,” he explained. For Nexteer, India based teams are digitising procurement and supply chains. “Why are we doing it from the India hub? Because we have the talent available. There is digital depth in terms of what these systems could possibly accomplish in anticipating what disruptions would come,” Gupta said.
The role of Indian GCCs has also shifted from execution to ownership. According to a recent PwC report, Indian GCCs delivered value growth of 10% to 11% during FY20 to FY24, with this expected to rise to 11% to 12% during FY25 to FY29. Gupta said the industry has moved from build to print to build to spec, meaning teams now design components based on performance needs. Safety, quality, sustainability and AI led regulatory readiness are being engineered from India. Prasad summed it up, saying, “We don’t call it a global capability centre. We call it a global competency centre. Scaling from capability to competency has to be fast. And capability is no longer a capability if AI can do it better. Competency is how you arrest what is coming.”
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