Global Strategy Leadership Moves to India: Why Your Next HQ Might Be in Bengaluru

By Santosh Sinha | Global Capability Centers (GCC) Desk Date: November 29, 2025

Bengaluru: The definition of “Headquarters” is blurring. For decades, the Global Capability Center (GCC) model in India was built on a simple premise: “We decide, you execute.” In late 2025, that hierarchy has been dismantled.

According to the groundbreaking EY India GCC Pulse Survey 2025, released this week, a historic milestone has been crossed. For the first time, 45% of GCCs report that their India teams are driving global strategy, effectively moving the “brain” of the enterprise to the Indian subcontinent.

This isn’t just about senior titles; it is about functional autonomy. The report highlights that 20% of centers now have full ownership of specific global mandates, meaning the buck stops in Bengaluru, not Boston.

The “Boardroom” Has Moved

The most significant finding of the 2025 Pulse Survey is the rise of “Shared Accountability.”

Previously, an India-based leader might have managed a team delivering a product roadmap designed in the US. Today, 52% of India GCC leaders hold shared accountability for global decisions. They aren’t just delivering the product; they are deciding what the product should be.

“We are seeing a ‘Reverse Dependency.’ Global CXOs are no longer just sending instructions to India; they are waiting for the India team’s strategic directive on AI and Digital Transformation before finalizing their global budgets,” notes a partner at a leading strategy consulting firm.

From “Back Office” to “Global Owner”

What does “Full Ownership” (the 20% statistic) look like on the ground?

It means that for specific functions-most notably Product Engineering, Cybersecurity, and AI Innovation-the India center is the sole global owner.

• Case in Point: Several Fortune 500 retailers now run their entire global supply chain analytics exclusively from Hyderabad. If the India team decides to change the algorithm, the global supply chain changes. No permission needed.

Why Now? The “Innovation Arbitrage”

For years, the draw was “Cost Arbitrage” (saving money). In 2025, it is “Innovation Arbitrage.”

The report cites that 92% of GCCs have officially shifted their primary goal from “Cost Savings” to “Value Creation.” With India producing the world’s largest volume of AI-ready talent, global companies realize that strategic thinking must happen where the talent sits. You cannot decouple strategy from execution when the execution requires deep technical expertise that the HQ no longer possesses.

The Rise of the “India-Based Global Leader”

This shift is reshaping career paths. The era of the “expat manager” flying in to supervise the India center is dead.

We are now seeing the rise of the “Global Role, India Location.”

• Attrition Drops: With high-value strategic work now available locally, attrition in Indian GCCs has plummeted to a historic low of 9% in 2025.
• Reverse Expat: Senior leaders from the US and UK are increasingly requesting transfers to India to be closer to the engineering action.

The 2026 Outlook

As we look toward 2026, the implication is clear: India is no longer the “Back Office” of the world. It is rapidly becoming the “Second Headquarters.” For global investors and board members, the question is no longer “How much can we outsource to India?” but “How much of our leadership should sit in India?”