India’s GCCs Reshape the Landscape of Global Leadership
A growing number of leaders from India-based global capability centres (GCCs) are entering the C-suite of Fortune 500 companies, reflecting the increasing strategic significance of these centres. Notable appointments include Kalyani Sekar at Verizon, Hari Vasudev at Walmart US, Ambica Rajagopal at Michelin, Suresh Venkatarayalu at Honeywell, and Navneet Kapoor at Maersk. These executives are gaining influence in major corporations, highlighting the evolving role of GCCs in the global business landscape.
Beyond the G-suite
Industry experts caution that focusing solely on C-suite appointments overlooks a broader transformation. Many India-based leaders are now shaping enterprise strategies, spearheading global technology and AI initiatives, and driving business outcomes while remaining in India. Executives such as Sarv Saravanan at Commvault, Sunil Gopinath at Albertsons Companies India, and Hariharan Ganesan at Rolls-Royce are examples of leaders with enterprise-wide responsibilities that extend beyond local operations.
As GCCs transition from mere delivery centres to strategic hubs, the geographical distribution of leadership is changing. The lines between headquarters and offshore centres are becoming less distinct, with India emerging as a key player in enterprise decision-making.
Challenges in Maturity and Ownership
Pari Natarajan, CEO of Zinnov, notes that while the presence of Indian GCC leaders in Fortune 500 C-suites is significant, it does not fully capture the progress being made. The true measure of maturity lies in the ownership of operating models. Questions arise about whether these centres are shaping enterprise AI strategies or merely executing pre-defined visions. Zinnov’s latest AI maturity study indicates that while GCCs have advanced, the shift from execution to ownership is still incomplete.
Currently, nearly 87% of GCCs operate primarily in execution mode. Only one-third have dedicated AI leadership, and two-thirds lack deep domain expertise. Furthermore, just 19% possess end-to-end AI mandates. Natarajan emphasizes that the issue is not a lack of capability but rather systematic constraints within the operating model. Despite numerous pilots and experiments, innovation often falters before scaling, leaving GCC leaders as executors of others’ strategies rather than architects of transformation.
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