There is a paradigm change happening in the landscape of technology talent in India. For years, the traditional IT service firms attracted technology professionals who desired to gain international exposure, job stability and get a chance to work with multinational clients. However, now, it is the Global Capability Centres (GCCs) that have become a strong competitor, drawing talent in domains such as artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, cloud computing, product engineering, and digital transformation.
It is not just about the number of jobs that are being created. There is a change in the core essence of the technology job in India itself. Traditional IT service firms provide technology and business solutions to their external clients while GCCs are more like an extension of their parent organization in the global world. With time passing by, these centres have grown, giving Indian teams the responsibility of global products, enterprises, R&D, innovation, and business transformation.
Ownership has now become a major distinguishing factor for talent. Professionals are no longer concerned only about money and security. They care as much about quality of work, latest technology, global exposure, and authority to make decisions. They seek to find out what will be built, what problems will be solved, and how impactful will their work be on global business operations. The opportunity to do so is available to GCCs in increasing numbers because multinationals are shifting more sophisticated and mission-critical activities to India.
The competition is fiercest when it comes to skilled digital professionals. GCCs have been building specialized teams in AI, machine learning, cyber security, cloud engineering, data analytics, and product management. The old concept of GCCs as primarily being an outsourcing arm for back office functions has slowly disappeared. The new generation of GCCs has become capability-focused and specialized teams that solve complex global problems and create IP and technology for global businesses.
The shift is also leading to increased movement of highly skilled professionals from IT services to GCCs. The Indian IT services industry has built one of the largest talent pools with experience of delivering on a global scale as well as transforming enterprises. GCCs are leveraging this talent pool as they expand in scale. Professionals find joining a GCC as an opportunity to transition from multi-client engagements to taking more ownership of a company’s products and platforms.
Yet, the emergence of the GCC model does not make the IT services model any less relevant. The two models are complementary and will continue to co-exist. While IT services companies have scale, cross-industry exposure and global delivery capabilities, the GCCs provide more opportunities for integration with a global enterprise and consistent capability building.
The emergence of artificial intelligence may further complicate this race for talent. As technology tasks become increasingly automated, there will be an increasing need for professionals combining technical skills with knowledge of domains, creativity and strategic thinking. Thus, the talent war of the future will not be a simple one of GCC vs IT services. It will be about which firms are able to provide the most potent mix of meaningful work, learning, exposure to technology, and global ownership.
India has been known for several decades as the technology services superpower of the world. The emergence of the GCCs may very well be the next step on that path – as Indian professionals shift from being technology implementers to being owners of products, innovators and participants in global decision-making. Ultimately, the firm with the greatest pull will be the one that allows its professionals to shape the future of global business.
