I did my first ‘GCC’ 30 years ago as Managing Director, LG Electronics. Initially launched as ‘LG Software Development Center, India’, the center would ultimately play a significant role in accelerating the transformation of LG to a global convergence ready, consumer electronics giant. Life was simple those days with no formal concept of captives or GCCs. As another LG location, we were living and breathing LG’s culture day in & out and like all our other LG colleagues in South Korea, Samsung drove us nuts!
And then in 2000, came the opportunity to establish NDS ‘New Digital Systems’ (part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation). NDS India did to News Corp what modern day GCCs aspire to achieve – we had the table to ourselves (not just seats on it) and proudly built products for the global broadcasting industry. Again, Life was simple and good, although driven by the initial market momentum, misrepresentations of captives and GICs that were beginning to do its rounds in the industry.
In 2005, as a Co-Founder of ANSR, I had the opportunity to build and lead Target in India. Target truly transformed India’s GCC landscape. Target in India was Target in every conceivable way! Beating the hell out of Walmart was our thriving war cry and we often adorned ‘red & khakis’ in solidarity with our field team members. Life at Target was also simple! It was all about embracing Target’s unique culture and ways of working. Success to us was all about integration with the teams in the US in a ‘One Team. Two Location’ way. We were so Target, that there was no way anyone could tell any difference across locations!
Thirty years, 150 GCCs, and counting, personally, for me, it's been a long GCC summer since the days of LG, News Corp and Target! At the peak of the GCC gold rush, it’s amazing to see how GCCs are now cornerstone of our national agenda for social & economic development. GCC’s have engulfed the curiosity, imagination and ambition of the industry. It is also clear that GCCs will be critical enablers of the India growth story in the next decade and beyond! And, of course, a key pillar of our ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision!
GCCs are morphing into a powerful ‘Make in India. Made for the World’ narrative – one with the unimaginable favourable implications for India and all the beneficiary nations. GCCs have the power to solidify India’s indomitable global leadership powered by our population dividend, academic infrastructure and culturally adaptive & resilient workforce!
I am excited about what lies ahead in 2025 & beyond and how the GCC industry will continue to benefit from the tremendous work that has been done over the years by many successful incumbents. The new ‘GCC-comers’ have tremendous ‘late mover’ advantage if they chose to leapfrog and build on insights and learnings of the incumbents!
ANSR Vikram Ahuja Smitha Hemmigae Charlene Keeney Avneet H. Neil D'Silva Ajay Alur Mukul Gupta Sandeep Sharma
CEO at Sojitra International | Manufacturer and Exporter of Brass Products | Expertise in Brass fasteners and precision parts | Cnc turned parts | OEM | EV parts expert.
8moCongratulations on embarking on this exciting new chapter! Wishing your company continued success and growth as you navigate this new phase. May this transition bring new opportunities and achievements. Best wishes for a bright future ahead! BTS5