Hyderabad emerges as preferred hub for GCC-led innovation

Hyderabad: The HMTV Business Excellence Awards-2025 turned into a strong endorsement of Hyderabad’s ascent as a global innovation hub, with top industry leaders at the GCC Summit highlighting the city’s expanding role in technology, talent development and digital transformation.

Executives from leading Global Capability Centres (GCCs) noted that Hyderabad’s professional work culture, single-window clearance system and cost-effective operations continue to position it among India’s most attractive destinations for global tech investments.

Participating in a high-energy panel, Sheenam, Managing Director at Broadridge, said Hyderabad has become a magnet for GCC activity, with 35 of the company’s 154 international clients already operating from India.

She noted that meetings in the city tend to be more productive due to shared challenges and a collaborative ecosystem, enabling ‘purposeful engagements and problem-solving.’

The shift in GCC operating models also came into focus. Richa Jain, Managing Director of Northern Tool Equipment, said: “The sector is moving toward a ‘40:60 model,’ where strategic innovation increasingly outweighs transactional work.”

Jain highlighted the need for continuous reskilling and said cities like Hyderabad provide the right ecosystem for mid-market GCCs to innovate and scale.

Echoing the theme of India-led innovation, IndusInd Bank’s Chief AI Officer, Shiv Kumar Bhasin, said India has become a global benchmark for digital public infrastructure. Citing Aadhaar and UPI, he said many countries are now attempting to replicate India’s advancements in product-led tech innovation.

Adding perspective from the financial sector, Anil Philip, General Manager at CSB India, said technology has made global financial services ‘borderless.’ He emphasised Hyderabad’s strong pharmaceutical base- with 22 major companies driving R&D- as a key advantage for the city’s tech-led growth.

Rakesh Sinha, Founder of SSF, called Hyderabad’s business environment ‘awesome,’ underscoring its deep talent pool in financial and domain-driven services. He said these strengths, coupled with a professional work culture, make the city a top contender for new GCC investments.

Representing the retail technology landscape, Durga Prakash Devarakonda, technology head at McDonald’s, said the company’s Hyderabad centre has significantly improved its integrated and horizontal ways of working, boosting both technology development and operational efficiency.

The discussions collectively reaffirmed Hyderabad’s rise as a global GCC powerhouse- fuelled by innovation, robust talent, and an enabling environment that continues to attract the world’s leading enterprises.