How to Set Up a GCC in India: A Four-Phase Approach
Executive Take
Most GCC delays trace back to vague charters, not execution. Hire the India leader first and lock decision rights before onboarding staff, or you'll spend quarter one fixing avoidable mistakes.
Executive Summary
Zinnov, drawing on 220+ GCC setups in India, outlines a four-phase approach: charter definition, city and entity selection, operating model design, and a 90-day launch. Key advice includes locking scope and decision rights early, running incorporation workstreams in parallel with city selection, hiring the India leader before the team, and planning governance for the 200-500 person inflection point.
Why It Matters
GCC and HR leaders planning India centers get a concrete sequencing playbook that shortens time to strategic value. It also flags the 200-500 person inflection point where flat structures break, a decision point CHROs need to plan for now, not react to later.