Global Capability Centers (GCCs) and their raising popularity in India - Spectraforce iRecruit

Global Capability Centers (GCCs) and their raising popularity in India

Ever wondered how big companies handle all their behind-the-scenes work so seamlessly?  

Well, as the title suggests, Global Capability Centers (GCCs) are the answer! In this blog, let’s get a brief understanding of the GCCs world where multinational giants set up shop in countries with competitive advantages India, China etc.  

Let’s also get a glimpse of why India’s become a hotspot for these centers, the kinds of jobs they offer (spoiler alert: lots of tech and innovation!), and why working in one might just be the career move you’ve been looking for. 

What are GCCs?  

Global capability centers are centralized entities within multinational corporations, delivering specialized services such as IT, finance, R&D etc. Situated in strategic locations worldwide, GCCs optimize operations, innovation, and cost-efficiency. They drive standardization, scalability, and collaboration across the organization while leveraging local talent and resources for global impact. In simple words, GCCs are the power houses that provide various support functions. These centers, often located in countries with competitive advantages like India, the Philippines, or Eastern Europe, leverage skilled talent pools, cost efficiencies, and technological advancements. 

Global Capability centers (GCCs) are also called Global Shared Services (GSSs) or Centers of Excellence or Information Centers. Once known as cost centers, GCCs have now evolved as Global Value centers due to their contributions. 

Which functions or segments are majorly found among GCCs? 

GCCs handle a spectrum of operations typically based on the needs of the parent company. Some of the segments predominantly found include IT services, research and development, finance, analytics and data science, engineering services, innovation and digital transformation and more. These are strategic arms, supporting the parent company’s global operations while maintaining autonomy and agility in decision-making.  Apart from the parent company needs, the type of GCC to be set up also vastly depends on talent pool, cost efficiencies along with market demands and tech advancements. Their objectives span beyond cost reduction; they drive innovation, process optimization, and scalability. 

Why has India emerged as the most preferred location for GCCs? 

India’s status as a preferred location for Global Capability Centers is due to its abundant skilled talent, cost-effectiveness, advanced IT infrastructure, English-speaking workforce, supportive government policies, and a mature outsourcing industry. These factors collectively provide a competitive advantage, offering companies a strong pool of skilled professionals, cost efficiencies, and an established ecosystem conducive to setting up and operating such centers effectively 

In India, which functions or roles have the most demand among GCCs? 

In India’s Global Capability Centers, roles in IT services (software development, cybersecurity), research and development (innovation, product development), shared services (finance, HR), analytics and data science, and engineering services are in high demand. Data analytics and cybersecurity services are experiencing significant growth, reflecting the need to manage and protect vast amounts of data in an interconnected world.  

GCCs centers seek specialized talent for digital transformation, business process outsourcing (BPO), knowledge process outsourcing (KPO), and emerging areas like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to support diverse functions across industries. 

In terms of booming sectors, healthcare is a frontrunner. GCCs are driving advancements in healthcare data management, supporting medical research, and ensuring compliance with complex regulations. The e-commerce sector is another prominent player, as these centers assist in managing the surge in digital shopping and logistics, offering efficient customer service and data analytics to improve the overall shopping experience. 

Summary

To summarize, GCCs are one of the rapidly growing sectors in India and have gained prominence among most of the MNCs. India especially rose to be one of the hotspots for the GCCs thanks to the skill-based, political and economic advantages that we possess such as abundant skilled talent, cost-effectiveness, advanced IT infrastructure, English-speaking workforce, supportive government policies, and a mature outsourcing industry with high demand in fields like IT, R&D, Data analytics, financial services, BPO etc.  

 

Check out the following links for some info on the GCCs in the current Indian market scenario: 

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