Indian GCCs becoming a sandbox for global organisations: Nasscom V-C

SAP Labs India is the largest research and development (R&D) hub of the company globally, with 40 per cent of its global R&D conducted in India

Indian global capability centres (GCCs) are evolving into a ‘sandbox’ for global organisations driving large-scale transformation, said Sindhu Gangadharan, vice-chairperson of the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) and chairperson for its GCC Council.

“A lot of this growth is propelled by the availability of talent in skills like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, generative AI, Internet of Things, quantum computing, and blockchain,” she said in a keynote address at the ongoing Bengaluru Tech Summit.

Gangadharan, also the managing director of SAP Labs India, said that Indian GCCs are transitioning into what is termed as Wave 4.0, where they will “build niche competencies, cultivate global leadership, monetise services, and venture into untapped frontiers”.

Increasingly, GCCs in India are taking end-to-end product ownership, with SAP Labs India serving as one of the best examples of this trend, according to Gangadharan.

SAP Labs India is the largest research and development (R&D) hub of the company globally, with 40 per cent of its R&D workforce based out of India. 
 

“Also, it is the only centre that covers the full breadth of SAP’s services,” she added.

According to the latest Nasscom-Zinnov report, India currently hosts about 1,580 GCCs employing 1.66 million people. This is expected to witness substantial growth in the next two years, with India poised to have over 1,900 GCCs by 2025 employing over 2 million people.

Alignment with customers and innovation are among the key factors that will help GCCs deliver value, as discussed by a panel at the Bengaluru Tech Summit focusing on GCC transformation and unlocking opportunities.

Aparna Rao, country head of Cargill India, emphasised that GCCs in India need to align with specific customer needs and devise technology-driven solutions to address their challenges.

AI will play a crucial role in creating better customer experiences, but the key lies in identifying the customer’s problems and how AI can help solve them, asserted Patrick Peisker, vice-president of R&D international development labs at Mitel, the GCC unit of a Canadian telecommunications company.

The panel unanimously agreed that Indian GCCs can create greater value for their global headquarters by providing region-specific insights and demonstrating high adaptability to different cultures, as they often deal with global teams and customers.