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21
NOV
The Changing Face of Global Capability Centre Leadership: A Talent Intelligence Perspective
India’s GCC ecosystem is not just scaling; it is transforming. It is rewriting the global leadership playbook.
From an executive search standpoint, the evolution of India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs) over the past decade is not simply an operational shift. It is a leadership transformation.
With 1900+ GCCs, 1.7 million professionals, and a projected 2400+ GCC footprint by 2030 (NASSCOM 2024), India has become the world’s most strategic destination for capability-building. This rise has fundamentally changed the leadership profile that modern GCCs demand.
In leadership assessment conversations with global stakeholders, one message is becoming clear:
Yesterday’s GCC leader cannot run tomorrow’s GCC.
Below are the six leadership shifts shaping the new GCC talent landscape.
1. From Cost Efficiency to Strategic Enterprise Value
Earlier, GCC leaders were assessed primarily on: • SLA governance • Productivity and compliance • Cost optimisation • Process stability
But this mandate has expanded. Today’s GCCs are enterprise value creators, leading capabilities such as: • AI/ML engineering • Cloud modernization • Cybersecurity • Platform and product development • Advanced analytics • ESG & risk analytics • Global business services
According to Deloitte’s 2024 GCC Outlook, 70% of new GCC mandates are now strategic or innovation-led.
This shift now prioritises leaders who combine operational excellence with strategic fluency, influence, and innovation capability.
2. From “Administrator” to “Enterprise Builder.”
A new pattern is emerging in executive search engagements:
Modern GCC leaders are expected to behave like CEOs, not site heads.
This means they must be able to: • Build new capability portfolios • Create internal business cases for investment • Win strategic charters from HQ • Drive digital and organisational transformation • Deliver outcomes, not just outputs
McKinsey’s 2023 COE Study highlights that entrepreneurial GCCs attract 40–60% more charters from headquarters. This “enterprise builder” mindset has become a core filter in leadership evaluations.
3. Talent Architecture Becomes the Core Leadership Mandate
India’s talent market is at an inflection point. Deep-skilled capabilities in AI, cloud, cybersecurity, product engineering, data science, and design are in unprecedented demand.
As a result, GCC leaders today must excel in: • Capability mapping • Leadership pipeline creation • EVP differentiation • Cross-skilling and multi-skilling strategies • Culture shaping and organisational design
EY’s GCC Pulse 2024 confirms that talent is both the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity.
Increasingly, GCC heads function as Chief Talent Officers and Culture Architects, not just operations leaders.
4. The Rise of the Global Influencer Leader
The modern GCC leader must influence and navigate: • CXO stakeholders • Global functional leaders • Regional governance councils • Regulators and compliance bodies • The India innovation ecosystem (academia, start-ups, think tanks)
NASSCOM reports that 75% of GCC leaders now interact directly with global boards or executive committees, a dramatic evolution from a decade ago.
Leadership assessments now heavily weight: • Executive presence • Cross-cultural maturity • Stakeholder navigation • Trust-building with headquarters
The ability to close the perception gap between “India delivery” and “global value creation” is now a decisive competency.
5. Technology-Forward Leadership Is Non-Negotiable
A consistent theme across leadership evaluations:
GCC leaders must be technology-forward, even if they are not technologists.
They need fluency in: • GenAI impact and adoption • Cloud-native architectures • DevSecOps and engineering practices • Cybersecurity frameworks • Data governance • Automation, RPA, workflow orchestration • Design thinking and digital experience
Gartner 2024 identifies technology fluency as one of the top three leadership competencies for GCC heads.
6. Culture, Purpose & Workforce Experience Define Leadership Success
GCCs today compete as much on culture as they do on capability.
The modern GCC leader must build: • Purpose-driven environments • High psychological safety • Hybrid work models that balance flexibility with performance • Learning-first, agile teams • Strong wellbeing and inclusion practices
A Bain 2024 study shows that culture-led organisations report 28% higher retention.
Culture-building is now a measurable leadership skill, not a soft one.
The New GCC Leadership Archetype (2025–2030)
As Seen Through Executive Search
Across industries, modern GCC leaders reflect a blended, multidimensional capability set:
• Leadership Strategist – Connects GCC outcomes with enterprise goals • Enterprise Technologist – Drives digital-first capability building • Global Influencer (Ambassador) – Manages HQ relationships across continents • Talent Developer – Attracts and scales deep-skilled talent pools • Entrepreneurial Builder – Wins new mandates and builds scalable value • Risk & Governance Champion – Ensures enterprise-grade maturity • Culture Shaper – Shapes behaviours, engagement, and values
This evolving capability stack signals a clear reality:
India is no longer a cost-efficient delivery location; it is a global nerve centre for capability creation, innovation, and enterprise transformation.
About the Author
Amit Tripathi, Principal at Collabera, is a leadership hiring expert with more than a decade of experience across industries and geographies. He now spearheads Collabera’s GCC Executive Search practice in Bengaluru.