The theme for this year’s NASSCOM GCC Summit, “The Next GCC Frontier: Ambition, Agility, Ascent,” couldn’t have been more apt. Held in Hyderabad on April 22–23, 2025, the event brought together visionary leaders, strategists, technologists, and innovators to examine the evolving role of India’s global capability centers (GCCs) and their journey from execution engines to strategic powerhouses.
Cactus Life Sciences was proud to attend this transformative event, gaining first-hand insights into how AI, talent evolution, and process reimagination are shaping the next decade of GCC operations. Here are the top takeaways that align closely with our work in scientific communications and global tech enablement.
From execution to influence: India’s GCCs step into the spotlight
The traditional perception of GCCs as cost centers and back-end support hubs is fading fast. Today, they’re increasingly taking on roles of strategic ownership and innovation leadership.
Sessions like “From Execution to Influence: Can India Drive Global Decision-Making?” emphasized the shift from transactional service delivery to transformational thinking. Leaders discussed how Indian GCCs are no longer content with incremental improvements — the new mandate is to reimagine business processes and deliver a 50–60% efficiency boost through AI-driven transformation. This strategic shift was summed up in a powerful phrase heard repeatedly across panels: “Don’t wait for perfect data — focus on the opportunity, not just the risk.”
The rise of AI-native GCCs: From Gen AI to agentic AI
AI took center stage in nearly every sentence of each session. In the session “AI x GCC Opportunity: Building Global Impact from India,” experts outlined how Gen AI adoption is accelerating, with 39% of GCCs planning to add more AI capabilities in the next year.
Stanton Jones from ISG shared a sobering but insightful view on the state of Gen AI:
- Only 15% of use cases are currently in production.
- Most companies struggle with data readiness and sourcing scalable AI talent.
- 65% rely on external partners for AI expertise; only 23% feel adequately staffed in-house.
Despite these challenges, the opportunity is massive. AI is not only being used to optimize costs and improve productivity, but also to elevate decision-making and customer engagement. The emerging architecture envisions a “Data Tower” and a “Tech Tower,” separating data management from platforms and applications, with agentic AI (AI that can take autonomous actions) sitting at the top of this hierarchy.
This opens exciting avenues for us at Cactus Life Sciences, as we have been thinking about how we can leverage Gen AI and contextual data to build smarter content pipelines, optimize dissemination, and ensure regulatory-grade quality.
Born in disruption: AI-first GCCs are the new normal
In one of the most inspiring sessions — “Born in Disruption: How New-Age GCCs Are Redefining the Next Five Years” — Naveen Gullapalli of Amgen said, “The GCCs of tomorrow are being born today — right in the middle of disruption, with bold ambition,” as he highlighted how the company is anchoring its Hyderabad GCC in science and innovation.
Key highlights:
- 500+ data engineers already onboard.
- Hiring 200 people per month, with a focus on interdisciplinary skill sets, with plans to grow to 4,000 staff in the next two years across departments.
- Heavy use of AI to drive efficiency at clinical trial sites, content creation, and marketing.
- Building a structured mentorship and strategic training ecosystem to nurture talent.
This model aligns closely with the kind of integrated, science-driven strategy we embrace at Cactus Life Sciences, particularly when it comes to using AI in medical content generation and scientific dissemination.
Future-proofing talent: Agility is the new currency
Sessions like “Agility, Innovation or Something More? What’s the Real Currency of Future Talent?” and “Leaders Discussion: What Will Define Success for GCCs in the Next Decade?” unpacked the critical talent trends shaping the GCC future.
Here’s what leaders are betting on:
- Skill liquidity over fixed roles — employees need to be cross-functional and agile.
- Building growth mindsets through mentorship, not just training.
- A shift toward value-creating roles, especially in AI, data engineering, and digital operations.
- Increasing focus on employer branding and employee value proposition (EVP) to attract global talent.
This emphasis on fluid, interdisciplinary talent development resonates with Cactus Life Sciences’ journey, especially as we bridge domains like life sciences, regulatory, AI, and tech enablement.
India as the GCC power hub: Mid-market momentum and sectoral waves
One of the report launches and lightning talks in “Track 2: Mid-Market GCCs” highlighted the India advantage:
- India has now cemented its position as the world’s largest and most diverse GCC ecosystem.
- Mid-sized GCCs are fueling the next wave of expansion — agile, cost-effective, and innovation-driven.
- Industries like healthcare, life sciences, and biotech are among the sectoral powerhouses leading this growth.
For a mid-sized, nimble, and deeply science-rooted organization like Cactus Life Sciences, this reinforces the unique value we bring to global clients — marrying the scale of India’s tech ecosystem with our deep domain expertise.
Blueprints, curveballs, and reinvention engines
Other standout workshops, such as “Modern GCCs as Reinvention Engines” and “Blueprints and Curveballs,” encouraged leaders to think beyond the present. As volatility becomes the norm, future-ready GCCs must:
- Embrace modular architecture and agile processes.
- Prepare for unknowns with scenario planning and AI-enabled foresight.
- Develop brands, not just back offices, for their global counterparts.
This philosophy of reinvention aligns closely with how Cactus Life Sciences positions itself — as a co-creator of strategy, not just a service provider. Whether we’re designing scalable content ops or architecting end-to-end medical information solutions, reinvention is built into our DNA.
The NASSCOM GCC Summit 2025 made one thing clear: the future of global business transformation runs through India, and Cactus Life Sciences is well-positioned to help lead the way.
Pallavi Gujar
Director, Business Development