Scaling a GCC: Balancing Autonomy and Control

Why this matters to GCC leaders today

India’s GCCs are moving beyond support and delivery work. With 2,117 GCCs, over 2.36 million employees and an estimated $98.4 billion in FY26 revenue, these centers now manage global products, platforms and business processes.

As GCCs take on more responsibility, they need more freedom to make decisions. At the same time, the responsibilities of the HQs lie in security, costs, compliance and accountability.

Too much control slows down the growth, while too less control creates a risk of shared view and operations. The challenge is to give GCCs the freedom to act while keeping the right safeguards in place.

The real shift

Autonomy and control can work together. HQs should set business goals, risk limits and required standards. The GCC should decide how to deliver within those boundaries.

Mint CIO Circle’s Earned Autonomy Framework provides a four-step approach: See, Decide, Guard and Release. It guides GCCs to build trust, demonstrate readiness and earn greater decision-making authority over time.

Key takeaways for leaders

1. Match authority with ownership: While 87% of GCCs manage global processes end to end, only 45% participate in global decisions.

2. Strengthen security as you scale: Although 83% are scaling gen AI, only 42% have advanced or automated security.

3. See and Decide: Create a shared view of platforms, costs and risks, and clearly define who makes each decision.

4. Guard and Release: Test security measures, controls and recovery plans before giving the GCC more authority.

5. Start small and prove the model: Use the first 90 days to test this approach in one business service or product area before expanding it.

Kyndryl’s POV

Kyndryl helps organizations design, build, run and transform their GCCs. It brings governance, security and compliance into the operating model from the start, while helping established centers strengthen existing practices and take on greater responsibility.

The question every GCC leader should ask

Does your GCC have the authority to make decisions, or is it only responsible for getting the work done?

What the full report covers

Scaling a GCC: Balancing Autonomy and Control brings together Mint CIO Circle’s Earned Autonomy Framework, survey findings, an illustrative example of a European bank’s GCC and a practical 90-day action plan.

It also features perspectives from Sanjeev Rastogi (Adani Enterprises Limited), Dwaipayan Chakraborty (JAS Worldwide), Rajat Mittal (Nissan Motors India Private Limited) and Prabhakar Vijayaprakash (Kyndryl).