We leverage local talent to deliver TransUnion’s core capabilities and support global operations: Balaji Narasimhan, TransUnion GCC India

In a brief interaction with Express Computer, Balaji Narasimhan, Head of Operations, GCC India, TransUnion, sheds light on what makes India a magnet for global GCCs, and how TransUnion is leading from the front in talent development, regulatory compliance, and technological innovation. He discusses how the India centre acts as a microcosm of the global enterprise, playing a strategic role across technology, operations, and product functions. From building strong career paths and fostering a culture of employee-driven innovation, to driving AI and hybrid cloud adoption, Narasimhan offers insights into TransUnion GCC India’s transformation journey, and how people remain at its heart.

From an industry perspective, over 1,500 GCCs have been established in India, employing more than 1.5 million people. What do you believe are the core factors driving this significant growth and attraction of GCCs to India?

The core reason is the availability of talent. While it may have initially started as a cost play for many businesses, today India has become the talent marketplace for the world—especially in IT and niche skills. Beyond IT, in areas like business process management (BPM), data science, and operations, there’s a strong talent pool as well. That’s really the main driver. With top engineering institutes consistently producing skilled graduates, the abundance of talent continues to attract GCCs to India. It initially began as a cost arbitrage strategy for many businesses but has evolved significantly, now focusing on delivering substantial value to the parent organisation.

As you rightly mentioned, GCCs are moving beyond cost arbitrage to focus on high-value work, so how is TransUnion’s GCC India attracting and developing top tech talent, and what steps are being taken to upskill employees in areas like AI, cloud, and cybersecurity?

The main focus for us is to provide a clear career path. It’s about empowering associates to take charge of their own careers and grow within the company. That, I believe, is our biggest unique selling proposition (USP). Additionally, our excellence initiatives and employee engagement groups are entirely driven by the associates themselves. They are the ones shaping the culture and driving innovation. We enable them by offering meaningful learning and career opportunities within the organisation. That’s at the core of how we attract and develop top tech talent.

We have upskilling programs focused on emerging technologies, and we conduct experiential learning sessions for our associates in partnership with large global cloud providers every quarter. Associates can also voluntarily participate in projects to get practical hands-on exposure in emerging technology skills.

With increasing concerns around data security, especially in the financial sector, what measures have you taken to ensure compliance with global regulations and protect consumer data?

The security and protection of consumer information is the highest priority for TransUnion. Data security and stewardship is vital to consumer protection and enabling trust. At TransUnion, we continually invest in improvements to protect the data we hold on behalf of consumers and businesses.

To maintain a comprehensive information security program consistent with our size and complexity, we secure and protect the information entrusted to us by building, monitoring and defending our security ecosystem built on a foundation of compliance and accountability.

Would you like to discuss the role of the India centre within TransUnion’s global operations?

We are a microcosm of the global enterprise with all functions present in GCC India. The GCC in India, with offices in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune, leverages local talent to deliver TransUnion’s core capabilities and support global operations. We’re creating opportunities across a full stack of competences with contact centre, BPM, technology support and transformation, data analytics roles, among others, while expanding time-zone and language coverage, and ultimately enabling thriving economies around the world.

Looking ahead, how do you see the role of TransUnion’s India GCC evolving? Are there any emerging technologies or strategic initiatives that will shape its roadmap in the coming years?

TransUnion GCC evolved from a technology only entity to a microcosm of the global enterprise and will continue to evolve with the strategic needs of TransUnion. We have also seen a shift in the operating model and emergence of increasingly senior global leaders at GCC India.   

TransUnion has introduced our OneTru solution enablement platform that capitalises on our authoritative data assets, cloud-enabled infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities to drive a more consistent picture of a consumer. Our GCC India team plays a pivotal role in facilitating this solution enablement platform. 

Would you like to share any challenges you’re encountering in your transformation journey?

The biggest challenge has been keeping associates effectively engaged in the transformation journey—and I think we’ve managed that successfully. Unless they understand the end goal and what they’re working towards, it becomes challenging to meet the end objectives and the process can become stressful. But once they’re aware of the purpose behind the transformation, there is a concerted effort from employees towards attaining the goal. So, the key is consistent communication—keeping everyone informed about where we’re headed and what we’re aiming to build as an organisation.