April 10, 2026
April 1, 2026
The Ceipal Connect 2026 event brought together industry experts Ashutosh Kumar, Director of Product Management at Ceipal, and Cheshta Dora, Head of Research & Content Strategy at People Matters, to explore the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) within Global Capability Centers (GCCs). As organizations in India aim to emerge as AI transformation leaders, the session highlighted key challenges, strategic insights, and actionable takeaways to equip leaders with effective tools to bridge the “ambition-execution gap.”
Watch the full session below, or read on to learn the key takeaways.
India is home to approximately 1,700 to 1,800 GCCs, accounting for 50–53% of GCCs globally, making it the largest hub in the world. Cheshta emphasized this growth, noting its trajectory toward contributing 2% of India’s GDP and generating 2.8 million jobs by 2030. She remarked, “This is the right moment for leaders to position themselves not just as scale hubs but innovation centers capable of extracting maximum AI value.”
GCCs are proving their capability to scale, yet their ambition often outpaces execution mechanisms, creating systemic challenges that demand urgent attention.
Ashutosh kicked off the discussion with an intriguing paradox: “59% of GCCs in India are presenting themselves as AI transformation leaders, but 64% of those same organizations state AI transformation itself as their biggest challenge. The ambition is there, but the anxiety is too.”
Cheshta framed the gap as structural rather than just technical or talent-based, emphasizing that GCCs often approach AI transformation reactively with minimal predictive intelligence and skills validation. Key data points from their research underscored this challenge:
Cheshta explained, “What they are doing is building those integrated skills to turn AI into outcomes. The issue lies in balancing tactical hires with forward-looking capabilities necessary for sustainable AI-driven growth.”
Want to dive deeper into the data? Check out the full GCC Talentscope Report from People Matters and Ceipal.
Another fundamental insight from the session revolved around skill gaps. Many GCCs focus dominantly on technical talent, yet strategic hiring requires addressing broader capabilities.
Cheshta observed a critical shift: GCCs must move away from narrowly defined AI hires toward building balanced capability stacks. She advocated for prioritizing strategic tech leaders, product thinkers, transformation leaders, and domain expertise. Cheshta further cautioned, “This isn’t just about acquiring specialized talent; orchestration is key. GCCs could accumulate specialist talent without ensuring the integration needed for real outcomes.”
Talent acquisition emerged as a cornerstone of GCC competitiveness. Cheshta emphasized that leading organizations treat it as a strategic business lever, not merely an HR function. She urged GCC leaders to embrace:
Ashutosh extended this, cautioning, “The speed of change in job descriptions is faster than the talent pipelines feeding into it. Without precision hiring, the talent function becomes a strategic bottleneck.”
Workforce intelligence emerged as another priority for GCCs aiming to gain a competitive edge. Cheshta urged leaders to elevate tools like talent dashboards as critical systems, on par with financial dashboards. These systems provide insights into future skill demands, map talent supply, and strengthen recruitment ecosystems.
“A talent dashboard should help you identify gaps before a role formally opens,” Cheshta emphasized, adding that workforce intelligence thrives when GCC leaders build a self-sustaining hiring engine rooted in data and foresight.
Retention was another key conversation focus. Instead of perks, Cheshta noted that employees prioritize meaningful work and growth velocity in an AI era. 77% of GCC leaders are focusing on career growth and internal mobility as a retention strategy. She remarked, “Retention in this AI era is less about perks but more about purpose, meaningful contributions, and opportunities for rapid development.”
Both Cheshta and Ashutosh provided actionable advice for GCC leaders striving for long-term growth, including:
The speakers underlined the competitive edge GCCs gain by focusing not on workforce size but on talent intelligence and speed. As Cheshta said, “In the race for AI transformation leaders, GCCs that embrace integrated skill-building, agility, and predictive hiring will outpace competitors—even those with larger workforces or heavier AI tool investments.”
Check out another Ceipal Connect session, the “GCC Playbook: From Call Center to Strategic Growth,” which explores how GCCs are rethinking their operating models to drive innovation and value creation.
