Bhartiya Group launches new venture, to serve as GCC enablement platform

Group launches Bhartiya Converge, to open offices in US and Europe

Bhartiya Urban has launched Bhartiya Converge, a new business venture that will serve as a Global Capability Centre (GCC) enablement platform, offering advisory, consultancy, operations, and management services to global organisations seeking to establish GCCs in India.

 

Arjun Aggarwal, vice chairman and managing director of Bhartiya Urban, told Business Standard in an exclusive interaction that the platform is now officially available for companies, and the leadership team is actively engaging with potential global and domestic clients.

 

Bhartiya Converge, which will operate under Bhartiya Urban, aims to streamline the GCC setup process through a scalable, service-oriented model designed to provide strategic advantages to organisations through their India operations.

 

The platform offers a customised and integrated suite of microservices tailored to the evolving operational needs of each GCC. It aims to enable agility, efficiency, and scalable growth while eliminating vendor mark-ups and coordination delays, thereby offering enhanced cost efficiency, flexibility, and quicker turnaround times.

 

Aggarwal highlighted Bhartiya’s unique position in the market: “I am one of the only players in the market today who is completely backward integrated. I have my own construction company. There will be a dedicated block within Bhartiya City in Bengaluru for GCCs, which is owned by us. The campus already hosts many top-tier GCCs.”

 

The company plans to open offices in the United States and Europe, where it already has a presence through its fashion business design centres.

 

Explaining the rationale behind entering the GCC space, Aggarwal said, “This is not just a real estate strategy. It is a strategy for value creation for both Bhartiya and global companies to partner and extract that value from India for global operations.”

 

He added that the move is aligned with India’s transformation from a back-office hub to a centre for innovation and research and development: “The government has taken an initiative, and today the world recognises India's capability beyond the back office—as the front-end office, as thought leaders, as innovation leaders.”

 

The company has appointed Monica Pirgal as the chief executive officer of Bhartiya Converge. Pirgal previously served as vice-president and site head for Neiman Marcus Group in Bengaluru. “The GCC revolution has just begun, and Bhartiya Converge is making a serious, long-term bet on the future of GCCs in India, ready to dominate and lead the industry,” she said.

 

Sriram Chidambaram, executive director, Bhartiya Urban, will serve as chief mentor, providing strategic guidance to the new platform. “Global Capability Centres will transform from being just cost centres to strategic assets, giving clients a competitive advantage and driving business growth,” said Chidambaram.

 

India is rapidly emerging as a global hub for GCCs, with over 1,600 currently operating in the country. The number is expected to double over the next three to five years across sectors such as technology, retail, logistics, aviation, and pharmaceuticals.

 

Bhartiya Converge will leverage Bhartiya Urban’s existing strengths in real estate, design, and construction. The platform will offer services including real estate solutions, fit-outs, and technology consulting. Bhartiya Urban’s flagship project, Bhartiya City in Bengaluru, is a large integrated township featuring residences, workspaces, a retail mall, a school, luxury residences, and a hotel and convention centre, creating a comprehensive ecosystem for GCCs, Aggarwal added.