The winds of change are sweeping through India’s IT industry as major players like Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech, Tech Mahindra, and Cognizant take bold steps to deepen their focus on Global Capability Centres. With over 2400 such centres expected to flourish in India by 2030, this shift signals a strategic embrace rather than rivalry.
Indian IT firms are not merely witnessing the rise of GCCs but stepping up to lead them. Since the start of 2025, a fresh wave of leadership appointments has transformed how these firms approach the multi-billion-dollar GCC space. These moves aim to turn what was once seen as potential competition into opportunity.
Infosys created a dedicated vertical and brought in Deval Shah, previously from Danske Bank, to spearhead long-term GCC transformation partnerships. This aligns with its ambitious ‘Project Altius’ plan, focused on high-value digital transformation deals with big names like Lufthansa and Danske. CFO Jayesh Sanghrajka acknowledged increased attrition due to rising GCC competition but hinted that structured leadership would offer steadiness.
Wipro followed suit by naming Sandeep Dhar to lead its GCC initiative. Dhar, known for shaping centres for global giants like Tesco and Goldman Sachs, brings a wealth of knowledge. Wipro’s COO Sanjeev Jain said, “Sandeep’s experience in building centres from scratch and turning them into strategic value creators will help us differentiate.” Dhar added, “Wipro is ideally positioned to be the strategic partner of choice for GCCs.”
HCLTech promoted seasoned insider Kiran Cherukuri to drive its already strong presence in this space. COO Rahul Singh expressed confidence that his deep experience would help expand their leadership further.
Meanwhile, Tech Mahindra turned global with the appointment of US-based Santosh Kumar Jha, showing a shift beyond traditional industry lanes. Jha now oversees all captive operations under CEO Mohit Joshi’s broader strategy, including the ‘Next Gen GCC Offering’ from its SST initiative.
Cognizant, despite being based overseas, also joined the wave by appointing Sailaja Josyula, formerly with EY, as the head of its GCC services. While it flagged risks from client-run GCCs in its recent annual report, it is clearly preparing to be a leader in the evolving space.
Though TCS remains without a formal GCC head, insiders confirm that strategic groundwork is already in play through its client consulting units.
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