What began as offshore extensions of global enterprises has expanded into something much bigger. India is now home to nearly 1,700 Global Capability Centers (GCCs) spread across major and emerging cities. Together, they account for around 53% of all GCCs worldwide, generate over $60 billion in export revenue, and employ close to 2 million people. Once considered cost centers, these hubs have become the backbone of global strategy, talent, and technology.
This growth didn’t happen overnight. As global enterprises pursued agility and innovation, India’s GCCs steadily matured into true centers of excellence, driving digital transformation, product development, and AI-led problem solving. Today, many of these centers act as strategic partners to their global headquarters, helping define business roadmaps instead of merely executing them. With startups and mid-sized firms now adopting the GCC model, leadership hiring within these centers has become a defining factor in how effectively they scale and sustain growth.
For Indian founders building fast-scaling startups, there is a lot to learn from this evolution. The way GCCs identify, hire, and empower leaders offers valuable lessons for anyone looking to build a resilient, high-performance organization. Interestingly, Indian professionals currently hold only around 10–13% of leadership positions within GCCs in the country, a figure that reveals both the opportunity and the gap in leadership hiring.
Let’s explore the trends shaping leadership hiring in GCCs and the takeaways they hold for founders in India.
1. Leadership Roles Built for Business Impact
The biggest shift within GCCs is in leadership mindset. Leaders are no longer expected to focus only on delivery or operations. They are expected to drive strategy, innovation, and value creation. GCCs now hire leaders who combine deep functional expertise with strong business acumen. These are individuals who connect long-term vision to everyday execution. They manage processes while shaping the business.
2. Global Fluency as a Core Requirement
Leadership in GCCs is becoming more globally oriented. Leaders collaborate with teams and stakeholders across geographies, time zones, and cultures. This requires a mix of cross-cultural fluency, stakeholder management, and strategic empathy. Many successful GCC leaders have international exposure or have handled P&L responsibilities that demand a balance between headquarters’ priorities and local execution.
3. Digital-First Thinking as a Leadership Imperative
As GCCs take on roles in emerging technologies such as AI, data, cloud, and automation, leadership expectations are moving fast. Current leaders must think digitally and act strategically. They are not just functional heads but “business technologists” who understand how technology can drive competitive advantage. They can connect data insights to growth or use automation to improve customer experiences.
4. Prioritizing Culture Fit Over Credentials
The top GCCs have learned that strong credentials mean little if leaders do not align with the organization’s culture. That is why cultural intelligence has become an essential criterion in leadership hiring. Modern leaders must know how to inspire hybrid teams, build trust, and lead with empathy. The best GCCs focus on how leaders show up, not just what they deliver.
5. Investing in Internal Leadership Pipelines
Another noticeable trend in GCCs is the rise of succession planning and internal mobility. Rather than relying entirely on external recruitment, many GCCs are nurturing internal talent through leadership development programs, mentorship, and cross-functional rotations. This approach not only strengthens leadership depth but also increases engagement and retention.
6. Using Data for Smarter Hiring Decisions
GCCs are becoming more scientific and data-driven in how they hire leaders.
They use talent analytics, assessments, and AI-powered insights to identify the right fit for each role. This approach reduces bias, improves predictability, and aligns leadership hiring with long-term strategy.
Final Thoughts: Leadership as a Competitive Edge
The rise of India’s GCC ecosystem shows that great leadership begins with creating an environment where the right people can thrive. GCCs have shown that successful organizations don’t leave leadership to chance. They identify talent strategically, develop it intentionally, and measure success through long-term impact rather than short-term performance.
For Indian startups, this mindset can make all the difference. In a market where capital, competition, and technology are constantly shifting, strong leadership becomes the one true differentiator. The right leaders can drive growth and turn ambition into sustainable success.
Talks About People (TAP) helps startups and enterprises identify, assess, and onboard leaders who accelerate growth while aligning deeply with organizational culture.
Let’s connect and build your next leadership success story.