TLDR: Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India are strategically shifting their focus from general IT support to specialized skills in fintech, generative AI, and cloud security. This pivot is driven by the need for deep domain expertise and is fostering strong collaborations between GCCs and academia to cultivate a future-ready workforce, particularly in the BFSI sector.
Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India are undergoing a significant transformation, moving beyond their traditional roles in IT support to embrace specialized capabilities crucial for the evolving digital landscape. This strategic pivot is seeing a softening demand for conventional, generalist skill sets, while there’s an increasing prioritization of expertise in emerging areas such as generative AI, financial operations, cloud security, and, most notably, fintech.
For GCCs aiming to maintain competitiveness and future-readiness, deep domain expertise has become a foundational requirement. A recent report by Quess Corp highlights that data engineering is now central to real-time decision-making, as GCCs accelerate their investments in robust, cloud-native data infrastructure. While data science remains a critical function, the industry’s focus is clearly shifting towards more specialized, domain-centric analytics.
Industry leaders echo this sentiment. Neeti Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Digital, emphasized that as GCCs undertake more critical and innovative work, they require tech professionals with a profound understanding of their respective industries. Similarly, Roop Kaistha, regional managing director of APAC at AMS, stated that the next wave of growth will be fueled by building deep, domain-specific talent pools.
Collaboration between GCCs and academia is identified as a catalytic force in this talent development. By co-creating curricula, enabling hands-on experience, and embedding soft skills and domain context into learning pathways, talent can be nurtured to be both technically proficient and business-ready. This strategic shift is particularly evident in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector, where deep fintech expertise is in high demand across Indian enterprises, startups, GCCs, and public digital infrastructure.
An example of this collaboration is seen in programs like DataSage by IIT Gandhinagar, and a specific initiative involving FIS. In the FIS collaboration, students are immersed in fintech principles from their very first year. Labs are meticulously designed to integrate financial concepts with computing and real-world use cases, creating a progressive learning pathway throughout the four-year program. An FIS leader, Narayanan, clarified the broader vision behind such initiatives, stating, “The intention is not that FIS will hire all these students. We want to get them ready for the market. If they choose to work with us, great—we already know their quality. But more than that, we see this as building long-term value for India.” This underscores a commitment to developing a robust talent ecosystem for the entire industry, rather than just individual company recruitment.
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This evolution signifies a profound shift in how GCCs operate and contribute, moving towards higher-value, specialized functions driven by advanced technological capabilities and deep industry knowledge.
