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Thomas Friedman’s promise of a “flat world” where geography ceased to matter, felt far-fetched; until COVID-19 made it an abrupt reality for businesses globally. Suddenly, the old obsession with having teams co-located with customers seemed antiquated. In this pivotal moment, Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India didn’t just survive, they spearheaded a profound shift in how the world worked.
As the crisis catalyzed remote collaboration at scale, Indian GCCs proved skeptics wrong. They operated with surgical precision – seamlessly managing globally distributed teams and customers across time zones while maintaining stringent service levels.
Today, a critical mass of trust has been built around the capabilities and stability of the Indian GCC model. And make no mistake – this model is here to stay and will only get stronger by 2030.
For future-focused leaders, the question is no longer “Why set up a GCC in India?“
The smarter question for Global Enterprises is: “How quickly can we set up an integrated, multi-functional GCC presence in India to create lasting competitive advantage?”
After all, India has everything a company could want from its GCC strategy
But here are a few more reasons why as a CXO, you shouldn’t ignore India:
Leading global companies across sectors have already bought into this reality. From Schneider (Industrial) to Morgan Stanley (BFSI) to Ericsson (Telecom & Networking) – global giants across industries have either set up AI COEs in India or are leading the AI momentum for their HQ.
Trust is built across trifecta of resilience, leadership, and innovation. India today not only leads product innovation, but has also built deep business and customer context. This convergence of trusted, multifunctional capabilities and a vibrant innovation culture makes India a natural fit for MNCs to set up their GCCs in India. There’s seamless collaboration across the tech value chain – from ISVs and Hyperscalers to Service Providers and implementers. There’s presence of a thriving start-up ecosystem further catalyzes the cross-pollination of ideas and agile product development.
Aided by a USD 3.5 Tn economy set to double by 2030, India is establishing a new standing in the global order. Traditional power dynamics are shifting, with Indian GCCs increasingly housing sweeping leadership mandates and P&L ownership for global enterprises. Brand India has become synonymous with trusted excellence beyond just scale and cost advantages.
India’s transformation into a global technology powerhouse is underpinned by a renaissance across critical enablers. The country is experiencing rapid infrastructure augmentation, with platforms like UPI (Unified Payments Interface) being replicated worldwide, showcasing India’s innovation on the global stage.
The talent pool is equally impressive, with 2.3 Mn STEM graduates entering the workforce annually, ensuring a constant influx of skilled professionals. This new generation of talent includes “context leaders” – individuals adept at navigating diverse cultural landscapes, a crucial skill in today’s interconnected business world.
India’s proven ability to operate at an unprecedented scale, exemplified by projects like Aadhaar (the world’s largest biometric ID system), demonstrates its capacity to handle complex, large-scale technological initiatives. Furthermore, the country’s emerging market status is driving consumer-focused innovation, creating solutions that are relevant both locally and globally.
As a new era takes shape, sticking to outdated GCC establishment models would be a costly mistake. The future belongs to those who can nimbly tap into India’s multidimensional capabilities. Because when it comes to designing and executing a sustainable GCC strategy for the flat world, India is the indispensable hub.
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