'India no longer just a cost play': What thought leaders spoke at YourStory GCC Summit 2025

The inaugural YourStory GCC Summit 2025 brought together all the important stakeholders of the global capability centre (GCC) ecosystem in the country under one roof, facilitating extensive conversations, discussions, and networking.

The aim of this summit was to spotlight India’s rise as a GCC leader. YourStory hosted CXOs from the ecosystems, including CEOs, technologists, and thought leaders, to participate in important conversations on strategic planning, harnessing India's talent, and the increasingly important role of AI.

“As we look ahead, the role of GCCs in shaping the future of work, innovation, and leadership cannot be overstated. From advancing digital transformation to creating inclusive workspaces, from driving sustainability initiatives to fostering cross-border collaboration, GCCs are not just participants but pioneers of change,” said YourStory Founder and CEO Shradha Sharma.

This set the tone for the start of the summit as GCCs are all about talent, innovation, and workplace management. India boasts of a vast and knowledgeable technology talent pool, and GCCs are here to tap into these knowledge bases to drive their innovation agenda.

The speakers at the summit were in unison about one thing: India is no longer just a cost play and it has moved up the value chain. The GCCs in India today have the advantage of not just the scale of operations but also adaptability in terms of adopting the latest technology. In short, India presents a value differentiation.

The topics deliberated across panel discussions, leadership presentations, and fireside chats encompassed a gamut of subjects including building future-ready workplaces, the financial services industry’s relationship with technology, and the emergence of global leaders from India.

However, the dominant theme at the summit was that of artificial intelligence (AI) and agentic AI. Speakers provided the contours of how this technology is likely to play out in the future and, more importantly, how humans can engage with AI to create a potent force for the future.

YourStory also recognised outstanding companies and individuals with YourStory GCC Summit Awards. The awards were given across 10 categories and included two women leaders. The recognition is aimed at encouraging both companies and individuals to set newer goals.

The summit also saw the unveiling of a report on the state of the talent in the Indian GCC ecosystem. The report revealed that Karnataka is a leader, not just as the feeder of talent but also absorber of talent.

There were other closed-door sessions at the summit, which saw intense discussions among CXOs.

YourStory GCC Summit 2025 serves as an important benchmark for the GCC ecosystem in India. The discussion, interactions and the general bonhomie sets the stage for a bigger summit next year.

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