GCC Hour: hmtv Business Excellence Awards 2025

hmtv Business Excellence Awards 2025, hosted prestigiously on 29th November, marked a landmark moment in the corporate landscape of the Telugu states. This year’s edition stood out with a historic highlight — the first-of-its-kind “GCC Hour,” an exclusive power-packed panel discussion organised by a Telugu news channel. The session brought together some of the most celebrated leaders from global capability centres and top corporates, offering rare insights into innovation, leadership and the future of India’s digital transformation.

The distinguished panel featured:

• Rajesh Balaraju – Director, Business Operations, LSEG

• Dinesh Chandrasekhar – Global CSO & Country Head, Centific

• Sudipta Adhya – MD & Co-Head, BNY

• Dr Durga Prakash Deverakonda – India Head, McDonald’s

• Shiv Kumar Bhasin – Chief Transformation Officer, IndusInd; Ex Group CTO & COO, NSE

• Anil Philip – GCC Leader & GM, OSB India

• Sheenam Ohrie – Managing Director, Broadridge

With visionary voices and transformative ideas, the GCC Hour became the star attraction of the evening — reaffirming hmtv’s commitment to celebrating excellence, leadership, and future-ready innovation.

Watch the GCC Panel Discussion: https://www.youtube.com/live/3156ha7hqwQ?si=oAthEEe-H-8Jzpgt

The panel discussion featuring leaders from major Global Capability Centres (GCCs) underscored a dramatic shift in India's role in the global corporate landscape. No longer viewed merely as cost-arbitrage centres or support functions, GCCs in India, particularly in technology hubs like Hyderabad, are rapidly evolving into empowered headquarters and drivers of strategic innovation, global leadership, and product development.

The Evolution of GCC Mandates

The discussion highlighted a clear transition in the core function of GCCs:

1. Shift from Transactional to Strategic Roles

GCCs are moving beyond running and optimising processes. A staggering 60% of GCC work is now being added to more strategic innovation roles. This requires a deeper focus on capabilities, a product mindset, and building a "future-ready" workforce.

2. Full Ownership and End-to-End Leadership

India-based centres are taking on complete ownership. In tech organisations, major leadership decisions and product-led innovations are happening directly out of India. Examples include cloud services entirely built, run, and sold globally from India. As one panellist noted, the goal is to shift the leadership model to be an "equally empowered headquarter" like any other part of the main global organisation.

3. Borderless Leadership and Talent Maturity

The concept of "borderless leadership" is becoming the norm. Previously, India was purely a support function; today, it is the "engine, the driver of innovation and growth." This shift is driven by the maturity and experience of Indian talent, which is now capable of managing complex global functions across diverse fields, including:

Financial Crime / Anti-Money Laundering

P&L Statements and Regulatory Reporting

Cyber Security (Hyderabad is recognised as a major hub).

Hyderabad: The New GCC Capital

A significant portion of the discussion focused on why Hyderabad is attracting a disproportionate share of new GCCs, positioning itself as a leader among Indian tech cities.

Key Attractors of Hyderabad:

Talent Density & Domain Expertise- Hyderabad is a rich source of talent, particularly in Life Sciences and Pharma (boasting centres like NIPER, CCMB, and IACT—the National Molecular Bank) and Financial Services (BFSI). The city has successfully moved from operational roles to R&D and cyber expertise.

Commitment and Learning Culture- Talent here is noted for a "very different sense of commitment" and a willingness to adopt and learn newer technologies and skills rather than resting on previous expertise.

Government Support & Ecosystem- The state government is praised for providing stability, a highly approachable demeanour, and a "phenomenal" level of support, including effective single-window clearance mechanisms, which aid in speed and ease of setup.

Operational Stability- Compared to cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad offers better infrastructure stability, fewer logistical challenges, and less internal friction (e.g., no major language-based instability), ensuring that "people reach on time, come on time."

With over 280 GCCs currently operating and projections to reach 250 by the end of the financial year, Hyderabad's growth is undeniable. One panellist noted that out of the 164 GCCs that have recently opened, Hyderabad accounts for a 40% share.

The Future of Collaboration and Operating Models

Integrated Operating Model

The industry is rapidly adopting an integrated operating model where business, technology, and finance work together horizontally. As one leader from McDonald’s stated, they don't call themselves a GCC but a "global office," emphasising that the location label is irrelevant and roles are defined as global by default.

> "Just to summarise, having technology versus using technology will make you as a leader or a laggard in the economic cycle."

Call for Enhanced Industry Collaboration

While organic collaboration happens in pockets, panellists called for more concerted, formalised efforts beyond existing forums like NASSCOM.

Sharing Best Practices: Need dedicated forums for sharing best practices, not just in technology (e.g., AI, Cyber) but in business processes, integrity, and ethical practices.

Supporting Mid-Market GCCs: The ecosystem needs to gear up to support sub-$1 billion organisations (mid-market GCCs) that are also choosing India and Hyderabad, possibly through **co-funded re-skilling programs.

Vertical Collaboration: While difficult, there is potential value in establishing forums dedicated to specific verticals (like Pharma or BFSI) to tackle shared problem statements (e.g., AI implementation, blockchain, operations efficiencies).

The consensus is clear: GCCs are no longer merely "extended teams" but fully integrated partners, often serving as the "brain" where design blueprints are created, and critical execution, model building, and governance (especially for Agentic AI and other advanced tech) takes place. The model has shifted from " follow the sun" to "follow the expertise," with Hyderabad recognised as a centre of deep expertise.

Conclusion: India as an Empowered Global Headquarter

The discussion paints a compelling picture of India's GCC ecosystem reaching a new level of maturity and strategic importance. The era of India as a mere support function is over.

The future of GCCs is defined by:

Depth of Capabilities: A necessary focus on innovation and product development to retain and grow strategic work.

Integrated Operations: A boundary-less, horizontal working model where India-based teams are empowered to make global decisions.

Ecosystem Enrichment: The necessity of industry-wide collaboration and government support to attract the next wave of Fortune 500 companies and sustain the high-quality talent pool that is critical for growth.

Ultimately, GCCs in India, particularly in thriving hubs like Hyderabad, are transforming into mini-headquarters or "extended teams of a mothership," successfully playing an unrestricted global role and cementing India's reputation as the most lucrative location for technology, innovation, and strategic value delivery.