Global Capacity Centres (GCCs) are being increasingly positioned at the heart of enterprise growth and innovation. The next phase of this journey is being shaped by artificial intelligence (AI) in GCC, which is redefining the way GCCs operate, deliver value, and contribute to global business solutions.
This transformation is not simply about adopting new technology. It requires a deliberate shift in strategy, operating models, and culture to build AI-powered ecosystems that foster innovation and resilience. By embedding AI across processes, GCCs can accelerate their evolution from transactional centres to strategic innovation hubs that drive the future of business.
GCCs as strategic engines of global business solutions
By integrating AI in GCC into their operating models, these centres move beyond execution to become creators of global business solutions. Their ability to analyse vast datasets, anticipate trends, and generate predictive insights positions them as strategic partners to parent organisations.
AI-driven GCCs contribute in four transformative ways:
- Innovation at scale: Acting as testbeds for enterprise-wide AI initiatives, enabling rapid experimentation and global rollouts.
- Cross-border collaboration: Harmonising data and insights across regions to create unified solutions for diverse markets.
- Strategic agility: Providing resilience to adapt to disruptions through scenario simulations and proactive decision support.
- Centres of excellence: Building domain expertise and advancing specialised capabilities that drive innovation and operational excellence.
In summary, GCCs function as innovation engines with forward-looking capabilities, allowing global enterprises to drive competitive advantage and business reinvention at scale.
challenges facing Global Capability Centres (GCCs)
GCCs face a set of interconnected challenges that shape their ability to transform into innovation hubs:
- Strategic alignment: Ensuring that GCC capabilities evolve in lockstep with enterprise priorities to maximise impact.
- Talent supply and development: Attracting, retaining, and reskilling talent while improving visibility of internal talent pools and mobility.
- Core business depth: Building stronger expertise in business-critical functions to avoid being “hollow at the core.”
- Culture and change management: Creating purpose-driven, innovative cultures and securing leadership buy-in for AI-enabled transformation.
- Technology and legacy systems: Overcoming outdated infrastructure and adapting quickly to disruptions like generative AI and cloud.
- Data governance: Managing cross-border data quality, availability, and compliance as a foundation for AI adoption.
These challenges highlight the urgency for GCCs to evolve beyond execution roles into strategic innovation engines.
from AI in GCC to ROI: six priorities shaping GCC transformation
To navigate this evolution, GCCs are rethinking their DNA, moving from execution to orchestration and repositioning themselves as engines of transformation. Success on the AI-to-ROI journey depends on embracing six imperatives:
- collaborate to accelerate
- redefine operations with automation
- shift from reactive to predictive
- align business ownership of AI
- build trust by design
- strengthen culture, talent, and market proximity
Future-ready GCCs partner widely with startups, academia, hyper-scalers, and service providers to co-innovate, fast-track learning, and reduce risk. Alliances compress innovation timelines and provide access to expertise that may not exist in-house.
AI in GCC isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about reinventing how work gets done. Intelligent automation allows GCCs to reimagine workflows, enabling smarter orchestration of tasks across functions while unlocking new productivity frontiers.
The competitive edge lies in foresight. Predictive models embedded into GCC-led operations enable enterprises to anticipate changes, simulate scenarios, and act before competitors react.
AI adoption succeeds only when business teams take the lead. GCCs that place product owners and CX leaders at the helm, rather than leaving AI solely to IT, ensure solutions are aligned with market realities and enterprise goals.
AI governance, transparency, and ethics must be embedded from day one. Human-in-the-loop approaches, where humans validate and guide AI decisions, are critical for maintaining accountability and ensuring regulator, board, and customer confidence.
Beyond technology, GCC transformation depends on cultural integration, domain expertise, and customer alignment. Investing in cross-functional talent, bridging global cultural gaps, embedding CX teams into delivery pods, and rotating talent across markets allows GCCs to stay connected to end customers while aligning with enterprise strategy.
By addressing these imperatives, GCCs create a foundation for sustainable AI adoption and measurable business impact, setting the stage for deeper strategic contributions.
the future of AI-driven GCCs
Looking ahead, GCCs will increasingly function as innovation hubs and strategic talent headquarters. By building capabilities in product management, generative AI, cloud, and sustainability, they will drive enterprise transformation. Purpose-driven cultures, experiential learning, and collaboration will help attract and retain top talent.
Technologically, GCCs will leverage AI in GCC, analytics, and data to scale innovation and transition from efficiency centres to value creators, improving cost efficiency, customer experience, and growth. Their engagement with startup ecosystems and participation in hackathons and industry conferences will further fuel innovation, making GCCs critical catalysts for competitive advantage in the global business landscape.
how can Infosys BPM help you build, scale, and transform AI in GCC?
Transform your Global Capability Centre with Infosys BPM. Using AI-powered frameworks, flexible engagement models, and end-to-end GCC support, we help enterprises design, scale, and optimise resilient centres that drive growth, innovation, and operational excellence. Unlock rapid deployment, seamless expansion, and lasting competitive advantage.
