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GCCs as new talent engine: redefining the future workforce in India
Global Capability Centers (GCCs) have evolved far beyond their origins as cost-saving service hubs. Today, they are reshaping how global corporations build skills, nuture careers, and prepare leaders for an increasingly complex world. India alone is projected to host more than 2,500 GCCs by 2030, employing millions and generating billions in revenue. In this new landscape, GCCs are becoming the world's most dynamic laboratories for talent development.
'We are witnessing a fundamental shift - from transactional work to innovation-led leadership,' Dhaval Vasavada, Associate Director – Information, Data & Technology (IDT), Healthark, told The Hans India. Nowhere is this more visible than in life sciences, where GCCs in states like Telangana are training talent in AI, data analytics, and digital health at a global standard, he added. Dhaval has over 20 years of experience in delivering analytics projects across IT services, product companies and GCCs.
From training to transformation
Traditional corporate learning models typically serve immediate business needs in home markets. GCCs, however, operate with a future-focused mandate. Over 40 per cent of new GCCs in India are chartered primarily for AI/ML, while more than 70 per cent of existing centers are expanding their AI teams.
This positionsIndia not just as a source of skilled manpower, but as a central player in global AI innovation. Diversity is also receiving sharper attention. Women already make up 35 per cent of India's GCC workforce, with targets set to reach 40 per cent by 2027. In life sciences, 85 per cent of GCCs are located in emerging market hubs, forming dense clusters of expertise that spread knowledge worldwide.
Industry + Government: The GCC Edge
Unlike traditional training programs, GCC talent development thrives on active collaboration between industry and government. Telangana's Life Sciences & Healthcare GCC Consortium which brings together 40 multinational firms has become a template for joint skill-building initiatives. Similarly, Karnataka's GCC policy aims for 100,000 digitally certified professionals in areas like cloud computing, cybersecurity, and analytics.
In Hyderabad, the Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK) works with tech giants to train students in AI, full-stack development, and data science. Recent partnerships, such as with Cisco for advanced digital-skills programs, ensure these efforts are tied directly to hiring pipelines.
Building Specialised Skills for a Complex Future
Advanced technologies, shifting regulations, and global uncertainty demand a workforce with both deep technical skills and cross-disciplinary insight. In life sciences, this means expertise in pharmacovigilance, regulatory compliance, and biostatistics integrated with AI, cloud, and data analytics. GCCs bridge this gap faster than universities can adapt, by embedding industry-designed programs into their talent pipelines.
Creating Tomorrow's Leaders
The most forward-looking GCCs are cultivating leadership through innovative models:
N'2 in a Box' Roles – Shared leadership positions between the parent company and GCC, ensuring seamless transfer of responsibilities.
NGlobal Process Owners (GPOs) – Leaders overseeing core business processes worldwide, trained for cost-effectiveness, cultural fluency, and strategic ownership.
NWomen Leadership Circles – structured mentoring and coaching to propel high-potential women into senior roles.
These initiatives go beyond filling roles - they cultivate global innovation leaders
The Road Ahead
GCCs are now nerve centers for building the future workforce especially in sectors like life sciences where complex, interdisciplinary skills are in short supply. But, as Vasavada cautions, this momentum will only hold if training evolves as quickly as the world changes:
'Adaptability, not routine, will define success. With the right policies and partnerships, GCCs can shape not just talent pipelines, but the next generation of industry leaders. In the race to prepare for the future, GCCs aren't simply keeping pace, they're setting it,' said Vasavada.
(This article is jointly brought to you by World Trade Center Shamshabad & Future City and Healthark, as part of a knowledge series supporting Telangana's aspiration to become a $1 trillion economy)
