We are moving from ‘AI assists humans’ to ‘AI executes, humans govern’: Arindam Sen, EY India

Walk into any modern GCC today, and the change is unmistakable. What were once process-driven delivery hubs are now being rearchitected around data pipelines, AI models, and increasingly autonomous workflows. The metric of success is no longer efficiency alone, but the ability to influence enterprise-wide decisions.

In my conversation with Arindam Sen, Partner and GCC Sector Lead – Technology, Media & Entertainment and Telecommunications, EY India, one idea stood out clearly: this transformation is not about layering AI onto existing systems, but about rebuilding the GCC around it. “An AI-first GCC is not simply a centre that uses AI tools,” Sen says. “It is one where AI is embedded into the operating DNA from inception.”

This distinction is crucial. The most advanced GCCs are not retrofitting AI into legacy processes; they are fundamentally rethinking how work is structured, how talent is deployed, and how decisions are made. “What truly defines an AI-first GCC is the willingness to rethink processes and people simultaneously,” he explains. “This is the shift from cost arbitrage to intelligence arbitrage, where the centre doesn’t just execute cheaper but thinks smarter.”

That shift is already visible at scale. EY’s GCC Pulse Survey 2025 shows that 92% of GCC leaders believe their centres now contribute beyond cost savings, actively driving business transformation and enterprise value.

Building AI-first GCCs from the ground up

If AI-first is the ambition, the next question is execution. What does it actually take to build such centres from day one?

Drawing on EY’s experience across more than 500 GCC engagements globally, Sen outlines a set of foundational priorities that organisations cannot afford to ignore. At the core is the need for an AI-native architecture, technology stacks, data pipelines, and cloud environments designed for intelligence rather than retrofitted for it.

Equally important is a workforce strategy centred on human–AI collaboration. “Our data shows GCCs are prioritising reskilling at 71%, tech-led growth at 70%, and niche hiring in AI/ML and data engineering,” Sen notes.

Alongside talent sits the question of data and governance. With 83% of GCCs already investing in generative AI, organisations are being forced to rethink governance not as a compliance burden but as a strategic enabler.

“The organisations that will win are those embedding responsible AI governance from day one, not as a compliance exercise but as a strategic enabler,” he says.

Crucially, AI investments must also be tied to measurable outcomes. “There has to be a clear value-realisation roadmap,” Sen adds. “GCCs need to demonstrate strategic impact to global leadership early and consistently.”

From automation to autonomy

While AI adoption is accelerating, the real inflection point lies in how it is being used. According to Sen, GCCs are now moving beyond automation into something far more transformative, autonomy. “The shift from automation to autonomy is the most consequential transition facing GCCs today,” he says.

EY’s research indicates that 58% of GCCs are already investing in agentic AI, with another 29% planning to scale within the next year. This is no longer experimental, it is becoming operational reality. “The practical difference is moving from ‘AI assists humans’ to ‘AI executes, humans govern,” Sen explains.

This has led to the emergence of what he describes as a hybrid agentic operating model. In this model, autonomous AI systems handle continuous execution and workflow orchestration, while human teams focus on strategy, oversight, and defining guardrails.

Early use cases are already concentrated in high-impact areas such as customer service, finance, and operations. The next phase, however, will be about making these systems truly autonomous rather than merely augmentative.

Reimagining GCC build and scale

As the role of GCCs evolves, so too do the models used to build and scale them. Traditional approaches, often slow, capital-intensive, and complex, are increasingly being replaced by more flexible frameworks.

EY’s Capability Centre-as-a-Service (CaaS) model is one such approach, designed to accelerate timelines and reduce entry barriers. “CaaS fundamentally reimagines the GCC journey from what was traditionally an 18-to-24-month, capital-intensive build to a faster, more agile, and lower-risk path to value,” Sen says.

By offering multiple engagement models, from turnkey setups to fully managed operations, CaaS allows organisations to enter and scale in India without being constrained by infrastructure or internal capability gaps. “We’ve demonstrated this impact concretely,” he adds. “In one engagement, we stood up a centre with 3,000 people in just 10 months.”

The model reflects a broader shift: GCCs are no longer long-gestation investments, but strategic capabilities that can be rapidly deployed and scaled.

The rise of tier-II and tier-III locations

Geography, too, is being redefined. As GCCs expand beyond traditional metros, Tier-II and Tier-III cities are emerging as viable, and often advantageous, alternatives. “Tier-2 cities offer 10% to 35% lower cost of living, attrition rates up to 10 percentage points lower, and strong domain-specific talent pools,” Sen notes. Cities such as Coimbatore, Mangalore, Chandigarh, and Ahmedabad are gaining prominence, each bringing unique strengths in engineering, employability, or emerging technologies.

However, Sen is quick to point out that cost alone is not the deciding factor. “Organisations getting this right are treating location as a strategic capability decision, not just a real estate exercise,” he says.

Infrastructure maturity, state incentives, and quality of life are all becoming critical considerations. The trend is already evident: GCC leasing in Tier-II cities nearly doubled in FY2025, with around 25% of new setups in the past three years located in these markets.

The next chapter: GCCs as global intelligence hubs

Looking ahead, the trajectory of India’s GCC ecosystem is set to become even more strategic. Over the next five years, AI will not just enhance GCC operations, it will redefine their role within global enterprises. “They will evolve from centres of operational excellence to becoming the strategic intelligence hubs that shape how global enterprises compete,” Sen says.

With the ecosystem projected to reach $100 billion by 2030, GCCs will increasingly take on shared accountability for global decision-making. Autonomous AI agents will handle routine processes, enabling human talent to focus on innovation, strategy, and complex judgement. “Our Pulse Survey already shows over 52% of India centres holding shared accountability for global decisions,” Sen notes. “AI will accelerate this trajectory dramatically.”

Ultimately, the question facing multinational organisations is no longer whether to establish a GCC in India, but how advanced that GCC is. “The question will no longer be whether to have a GCC in India,” Sen concludes. “It will be whether their India GCC is intelligent enough to lead.”