Homecoming: Why global Indian talent is returning to lead GCCs
Returnees “bring global perspective, enterprise maturity, and a deep understanding of stakeholder expectations — all while being culturally rooted," according to experts.
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Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India have entered a decisive new phase. Once synonymous with scale and cost-efficiency, they are now being positioned as strategic hubs that influence product vision, policy, AI governance, and enterprise-wide decision-making. This evolution is reflected most sharply in how these centers are hiring, what skills they prioritize, and how leadership talent is sourced, both locally and from abroad.
Vendor Risk and Global Standards
As GCCs deepen their global responsibilities, their risk frameworks are also maturing. Avinash Gupta, Managing Director and CEO, Dun & Bradstreet India, points out that the emphasis has shifted from mere compliance to a holistic view of vendor and supplier resilience. “The focus is no longer just on compliance, but on evaluating vendors for long-term sustainability, financial resilience and ethical alignment,” he explains.
India’s growing role in compliance, supply chain management, R&D, and technology sourcing has led GCCs to enforce supplier codes of conduct aligned with global standards. Gupta highlights that many centers are proactively onboarding vendors with transparent operations and strong compliance track records. “Through tailored credit assessment models, insights on financial stability, ESG ranking and deep risk intelligence, we at Dun & Bradstreet can empower GCCs to manage third party risk proactively and ensure confidence, clarity and control in an increasingly complex business environment,” he adds.
From Shared Services to Product Vision
If the first wave of GCCs was defined by back-office functions, the latest wave is reshaping talent expectations. Neeti Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Digital, notes that shared services roles such as finance, operations, and administration are still being backfilled by conventional candidates, but the real momentum lies elsewhere. “Many GCCs are now looking at transforming their HR, Finance and Technology organizations and are hiring candidates that come with skill sets that meet their future requirements,” she says.
That future is product-led. Sharma observes that roles in product development, digital transformation, and data strategy are being staffed with candidates who can drive innovation and change at scale. The implication is clear: India is no longer a mere “volume playa” for GCCs. With innovation centers proliferating, the country is increasingly seen as a strategic talent hub, not just a delivery engine.
Rising Local Leadership
A critical question is whether there remains a leadership deficit in Indian GCCs. Sharma pushes back against the deficit narrative, pointing out that Indian professionals with global exposure are stepping into leadership roles. In the early setup phase of a GCC, 10–14 percent of strategic roles may be filled locally, but that figure quickly scales. “Gradually almost as high as 55–70 percent roles get filled by local leadership talent or returnees,” she explains.
Sachin Alug, CEO of NLB Services, goes further. According to him, over 70–80 percent of strategic global roles are now led by professionals based in India, with another 10–20 percent filled by returning professionals. Expats today account for less than 10 percent, mostly in short-term setup assignments. The shift signals a rise in locally rooted leadership trusted with global charters.
Return-to-India Movement: Brain Drain to Brain Gain
This local leadership trend is being reinforced by a surge in return-to-India talent. All the experts interviewed agree that globally seasoned professionals are increasingly coming back to take up GCC roles, particularly in domains like product, digital, AI, and data.
Sharma notes a consistent uptick in the last two years, while Roop Kaistha, Regional Managing Director, APAC, AMS, adds that returnees “bring global perspective, enterprise maturity, and a deep understanding of stakeholder expectations — all while being culturally rooted.” For companies, he says, it is a “win-win,” since these leaders accelerate transformation while also ensuring continuity.
Smitha Hemmigae, Managing Director at ANSR, underscores the shift as more than just anecdotal. India’s mature GCC ecosystem and rising global autonomy make it a compelling choice for senior leaders abroad. These returnees are no longer joining for regional execution roles but for enterprise-impacting global mandates.
Why Hiring Globally Seasoned Leaders Remains Hard
If talent is flowing back, why do challenges persist? The executives converge on the same point: role clarity and vision-fit matter more than pay. Sharma stresses that globally experienced leaders want mandates that allow them to shape vision and drive enterprise-wide decisions, not just manage delivery. Kaistha echoes this, warning that “if organizations aren’t truly prepared to empower them, the relationship breaks down.”
Sanketh Chengappa KG, Director and Business Head – Professional Staffing, Adecco India adds that the difficulty often lies in cultural and vision-fit. Hiring globally seasoned leaders demands careful onboarding, expectation management, and integration strategies. Hemmigae believes leadership readiness programs are vital. Initiatives like the ANSR-ISB LATITUDe GCC Leadership Program are designed to bridge capability gaps, preparing India-based leaders to lead at global scale.
Skills in Demand: From Python to GenAI
The skills GCCs are chasing tell the story of their evolution. In the last 12–18 months, demand has shifted sharply from full-stack development towards Python, cloud engineers, QA automation, and data engineering in emerging GCCs, according to Adecco’s Chengappa. In mature GCCs, demand has moved far beyond tech ops. Kaistha lists AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud architecture, platform engineering, and product ownership as areas of aggressive hiring.
Hemmigae points out that emerging GCCs today are day-one innovation hubs, leapfrogging legacy back-office models and investing in data, digital, and product talent from the outset. Mature GCCs, meanwhile, are embedding deeper into headquarters on strategy, culture, and enterprise platforms.
The GenAI Effect on Hiring Filters
GenAI has been a game-changer. Kaistha argues that hiring filters must evolve beyond rigid role-based checklists. “Hiring now must favour agility, adjacency of skills, and learning potential over narrow past experience,” he says. This shift allows talent from non-AI backgrounds to excel in AI-driven roles simply because they have the mindset to adapt.
Chengappa agrees, noting that skills-first hiring is replacing degree-based filters. Hybrid roles, blending domain expertise with AI fluency, are becoming standard. Upskilling in GenAI is now a strategic priority across GCCs.
Compensation Trends: Premiums for GenAI and Product Leadership
Compensation has recalibrated dramatically in this new context. Sharma observes that roles in GenAI, digital product leadership, and advanced data engineering now command 30–35 percent higher pay compared to peers. Kaistha reports increases of 20–40 percent compared to two years ago, with some organizations offering U.S.-equivalent packages for niche or leadership roles.
Alug highlights the rise of skills-driven pay structures and personalized rewards, while Chengappa points out that beyond money, the focus is shifting to vision-fit and cultural alignment. The idea of India as a low-cost talent market no longer applies.
The momentum is only accelerating. Hemmigae projects that by 2030, over 30,000 global roles will be based out of India, spanning product, AI governance, strategy, and policy. Already, as of mid-2025, Kaistha notes that over 6,500 global and senior leadership roles are operated from Indian GCCs — a 30 percent increase over three years.
The hiring story of GCCs in India is thus less about cost efficiency and more about value creation, leadership continuity, and strategic trust. From compliance and vendor management to global product ownership and AI governance, India’s GCCs are remaking the talent map.
