Nano GCCs and India's strategic edge in global capability centres

Ramkumar Ramamoorthy, Partner at Catalincs and former Chairman and Managing Director of Cognizant, India, shares his insights on the next phase of India's GCC growth.

- By Shrikanth G

Ramkumar Ramamoorthy has had a ringside view of the evolution of India's Global Capability Centres(GCC). He joined Cognizant in its early years and went on to become the Chairman and Managing Director of Cognizant, India, where he was responsible for operations spanning more than 200,000 employees. During his 22-year tenure, he incubated and scaled multiple portfolios, and was closely associated with the acquisition and integration of a dozen GCCs, including those of UBS, Invensys, T-Systems and KBC Bank.

After stepping down from Cognizant in 2020, Ramkumar co-founded Catalincs, a technology advisory firm that helps niche technology companies build the capabilities for rapid growth. With Cognizant itself having begun as the technology captive of Dun & Bradstreet in Chennai, Ramkumar has seen the GCC story unfold firsthand — from 200 employees in 1994 to Cognizant's 340,000-strong workforce today serving hundreds of global clients.

In a conversation with Dataquest, he reflects on the opportunities, challenges, and shifts shaping India's GCC journey.

"We are now witnessing a new wave of 'nano GCCs' in India, focusing on high-end techno-business talent to develop innovative products and bleedingedge solutions."

"No progressive global business today can afford not to have access to digital and AI capabilities at scale - and no country offers it like India does."

What do you see as the biggest opportunity for India to strengthen its position as the global GCC hub over the next five years? What's the compelling value proposition right now?