The Standard is reshaping its India operations with a leadership-first approach, aiming to elevate its global capability centre (GCC) to the level of its headquarters.
The US-based financial services firm, focused on insurance, is implementing a shared leadership structure at its India GCC. Internally called a “two-in-a-box” model, this approach is designed to align the India centre closely with global operations while improving innovation and productivity.
The company entered India in 2025 through the acquisition of Allstate’s Employer Voluntary Benefits business, establishing a centre in Pune. It is now expanding its GCC footprint in Bengaluru.
In an interaction with a publication, Mohua Sengpupta, SVP & Country Head – India, The Standard, said, “Our focus will be on hiring across the leadership level and the number of people will not be an important metric.”
She added that leadership roles at the headquarters, such as CIO, will be mirrored at the India GCC. This structure will extend across functions including technology, data, analytics, and software engineering.
“The idea is to create teams that will work together and jointly create solutions,” Sengupta remarked.
Traditionally, GCCs in India have handled repetitive or easily offshored tasks. However, this trend is evolving, with a small number of centres now taking on high-value responsibilities.
The Standard aims to move directly into this space by focusing on high-value work while building strong internal talent. As Sengupta noted, “The first thing that was agreed upon is to have the best of the leaders in every function.”
The India GCC will also focus on co-developing agentic AI solutions. These will support core insurance processes and deliver customised AI-driven outcomes tailored to business needs. The goal is to ensure these solutions are implemented within the organisation rather than remaining experimental.
Sengputa said, “We want to make technology a key differentiator.”
Alongside hiring, the company is prioritising a culture that reflects the values of its parent organisation. Partnerships will play a key role in scaling operations.
“We want to grow effectively and efficiently through partnerships. This will help us build, scale and transform,” Sengupta said.
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