Hyderabad, Nov 20: A high-profile conference titled “Leadership in a Changing World: Driving Strategy, Digital Transformation, and GCC Growth” was held today at The Leela, Hyderabad, bringing together business leaders, Global Capability Center (GCC) heads, technology experts, and senior industry professionals.
The conference was jointly organised by The Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FTCCI)and The Association of Accountants and Financial Professionals in Business (IMA) to strengthen industry understanding of GCCs and their expanding role in global development.
Speaking at the conference, R. Ravi Kumar, President, FTCCI, said Global Capability Centers have emerged as strategic hubs for innovation, digital transformation, and operational excellence, particularly in regions like Hyderabad and Telangana. GCCs, he noted, contribute significantly to foreign investment, employment generation, advanced skilling, and cross-border knowledge exchange.
“Technology is reshaping industries, global delivery models are being reinvented, and GCCs have become the backbone of enterprise transformation. And there is no better city than Hyderabad to host this conference,” he said.
He added that Hyderabad now accounts for the highest number of new GCCs in India—almost 46% of all new GCCs nationwide. Major global organisations such as EY, Deloitte, MassMutual, TCS, TESCO, and Reckitt have chosen Hyderabad as their base for leadership, capability-building, and next-generation innovation.
Ravi Kumar also announced that FTCCI and IMA are collaborating to expand high-quality upskilling programs in finance, strategy, and digital capability development, formalised through an MoU signed today.
Delivering the keynote address, Michael DePrisco, President & CEO, IMA, said a serious skill gap has emerged in the global Accounting and Finance sectors, impacting careers, competitiveness, and business outcomes. He noted that India’s CFOs are shifting from compliance to strategy, with AI and analytics becoming essential in BFSI and manufacturing. “US firms increasingly turn to India to bridge their Accounting and Financial skill gap,” he added.
Sunil Deshmukh, Chair Emeritus, IMA Global Board of Directors, spoke on “Future of Finance Leadership in an AI-Driven World.” He said AI and automation will be the most sought-after skills in 2026, adding that: Digital fluency is no longer a skill — it’s the new workplace language that defines how fast individuals and organisations adapt, innovate, and stay competitive. Digital fluency is the new currency of modern leadership. Without digital fluency, strategy cannot scale.
He emphasised that understanding data is now everybody’s job and added, “AI is like a Google now. Today’s leaders need to know what will happen tomorrow. A leader needs to be like a diplomat.”
Industry experts highlighted how the rapid growth of GCCs is reshaping global business models, enabling multinationals to leverage India’s technology ecosystem, analytics strength, and customer-centric innovation. The conference also stressed the need for leadership to adapt to global trends, digital disruption, and new economic realities.
The event featured three high-impact panel discussions:
- “From Support to Strategy: The Next Evolution of GCCs in India” – exploring the transition from support functions to strategic centers of excellence in innovation, analytics, and strategic finance.
- “India’s Strategic Edge: Driving Global Finance Transformation from GCCs” – focusing on India’s leadership in global finance operations through capability, vision, and future-ready talent.
- “AI, Analytics & Agility: The New Playbook for Global Finance Operations” – examining how emerging technologies are reimagining processes, enhancing performance, and enabling predictive intelligence.
Speakers shared that Hyderabad is home to 360 GCCs, with numbers continuing to rise. Globally, nearly two million professionals work across 2,000 GCCs, and this workforce is expected to double to four million soon. The current GCC industry value of USD 50–60 billion is projected to grow to USD 80–90 billion in the near future.
Hyderabad’s advantages—talent pool, favourable policies, climate, connectivity, cost efficiency, and governance—were highlighted as key reasons behind the city’s growing appeal for GCC expansion.
The conference concluded with a call for deeper collaboration between industry, government, and knowledge partners to accelerate innovation-led growth and prepare businesses for a rapidly transforming global
landscape.
Over 120 professionals participated in the conference.
