Leadership Shortage Hinders India's GCC Growth

India's Global Capability Centres (GCCs) employ nearly two million professionals. However, according to EY's GCC Pulse Report 2025, almost 80% of these centers have less than 10% of leadership roles based in India, highlighting a critical issue.

Despite the growth of global leadership roles from India, which have increased by approximately 40% annually over the past five years, reaching over 6,500 in 2024 (Zinnov's research), the demand for mid-to-senior talent is projected to rise. By 2025, this talent segment is expected to constitute 77% of all GCC hiring, up from 63% in 2023.

While GCCs are expanding rapidly, their leadership pipelines are struggling to keep pace. This challenge is not merely a result of talent market dynamics. Many centers find it increasingly difficult to secure experienced leaders who possess the ideal combination of technical expertise, business acumen, and interpersonal skills necessary to manage large, complex teams. This shortage of seasoned leadership poses a significant bottleneck to growth.

Centers that are successfully addressing this gap tend to adopt a common approach. They maintain low attrition rates by offering personalized learning and clear career pathways. Their leaders set ambitious enterprise-level mandates with defined outcomes that the GCC will own.

Moreover, these organizations view their leaders in India as global business leaders rather than mere site heads, ensuring that these leaders gain visibility with the parent company. This shift in perspective distinguishes centers that achieve sustainable growth from those that plateau.

The primary HR challenge in the current GCC growth wave is not simply increasing headcount; it is enhancing leadership depth. Organizations must prioritize building their internal leadership pipelines proactively, rather than waiting for vacancies to arise.

In doing so, India can position itself as a source of leadership talent on a global scale, not just as a provider of technical expertise.