Sindhu Gangadharan, Managing Director of SAP Labs India, declared India as the undisputed Global Capability Center (GCC) capital of the world. In a fireside chat at the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet 2024, Gangadharan highlighted India’s growing significance in the global landscape for GCCs.
Gangadharan emphasized that India is not only a talent hub but is also fueling demand, making it an attractive destination for top companies to establish GCCs. These offshore captive technology facilities, responsible for in-house technology, R&D, and various organizational functions, have been rapidly growing in India.
Speaking about the transformative role of GCCs, Gangadharan mentioned that they are creating over 5,000 global leadership roles in the country. She predicted a fourfold increase to over 20,000 global leadership roles by 2030, empowering young talent with end-to-end product ownership.
“Today there’s no doubt that India is the GCC capital of the world. We are talking of a market of over $35 billion, which is driven by GCCs. GCCs contribute more than 1 percent to India’s GDP, and that number is only increasing,” said Gangadharan.
She highlighted the presence of more than 1,500 GCCs in India, leveraging the abundant talent pool exceeding 1.38 million and the engineering prowess driving this transformation. India’s GCCs are playing a pivotal role in large-scale business and digital transformations globally, with 42 percent of product leadership originating from Indian GCCs.
Gangadharan also acknowledged the significant shift in markets, with India becoming the fastest-growing economy, the second-largest digital economy, a top-three country in STEM talent, and possessing a trillion-dollar SaaS market opportunity.
Reflecting on SAP’s engagement in India, she revealed that almost 40 percent of SAP’s global R&D workforce operates from India, making it the largest R&D team outside the company’s headquarters. Chennai, Tamil Nadu, stands out, contributing 25 percent of R&D talent, with Coimbatore leading among Tier-2 cities.
As India continues to evolve as the GCC hub, Gangadharan stressed the importance of bridging cultural gaps, maintaining a focus on talent development, and upskilling at various levels.
