GCCs in India are moving from service delivery to product building; developers need to follow

Global capability centres, or GCCs, based in India, are shifting from being mere cost centers to becoming hubs for products, platforms, and innovation. Kewyn George, an AI and GCC leader, discussed this transformation during his session titled 'From code to business impact: What are GCCs really building in India?' at DevSparks Chennai 2026. He highlighted three key changes: automation, ownership, and the hiring of AI engineering talent.

Automation has seen significant implementation, with 50-60% of GCCs now automating repetitive tasks, such as service desk tickets. Ownership is expanding, with some GCCs developing entire systems end to end. The hiring of AI engineering talent is also accelerating, though the specific applications of this talent are still unclear for many organizations. This shift is largely driven by a fear of missing out (FOMO) on AI advancements, both among multinational companies and GCCs.

However, George cautioned against the "pilot graveyard" phenomenon, where promising ideas are celebrated initially and then abandoned. He stressed the importance of ensuring longevity and real-world applicability for these pilot projects.

When it comes to developers, George noted that GCCs now face a diverse workforce, including those trained on legacy systems, Java developers, and a new generation who have learned coding with AI tools. He expressed concern that the latter group might lose essential skills in logical and systems thinking.

For developers, the evolving role of GCCs means they need to adapt their skills, focusing on AI engineering, configuration engineering, and infrastructure. Additionally, they should develop expertise in governance, risk, and compliance, as well as cybersecurity. George highlighted that knowing how to use AI tools is not sufficient; understanding the underlying systems and processes is crucial.