In a significant development, India is witnessing a surge in hosting global leadership roles for multinational corporations. Traditionally, customer-centric positions were considered challenging to manage remotely. However, industry leaders like Sarv Saravanan, Chief Customer Officer at Commvault, are breaking new ground by overseeing crucial roles from India.
The evolution of India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs) has been pivotal in this shift. Over the past two decades, these centers have transitioned from back-office operations to taking ownership of products and running global business services. Lalitha Indrakanti, former head of global business services for Ikea, now leads the same for Jaguar Land Rover technology and business services, exemplifying India’s growing influence.
As technology advances, data analytics plays a vital role in understanding customers remotely. This, coupled with the maturation of GCCs, has led to India becoming a preferred location for leadership roles. Companies like Schneider, with a significant R&D presence in India, are elevating leaders like Chitra Sukumar to oversee global digital engineering practices.
However, managing global roles from India demands discipline due to time zone differences. Leaders like Sarv Saravanan emphasize the need to work flexible hours to engage with global stakeholders effectively.
The trend extends beyond technical roles, with Vishal Bhasin, Global CTO of Data Axle, citing India’s phenomenal contributions across various functions. The ease of understanding customers through data has further fueled the shift, with roles like Chief Customer Officer finding a home in India.
While India’s prominence in hosting global roles continues to rise, industry experts emphasize the importance of maintaining discipline for seamless global interactions.
