HFS PODCASTS

In this episode of HFS GCC Advantage, we speak with Saraswathi Ramachandra, MD & Country Head at Lightcast India, about how GCCs are evolving from delivery centers into hubs for product, engineering, and business outcomes. She shares how Lightcast turns labor market data into actionable intelligence and how India is playing a central role in building global capabilities.

What you’ll hear:

• How Lightcast uses labor market intelligence to understand skills and workforce trends
• Why the India GCC is moving from delivery to deeper engineering and product ownership
• How data, AI, and taxonomy power Lightcast’s platform and insights
• What it takes for GCCs to move closer to revenue, customers, and market outcomes

Key takeaways:

• Skills intelligence is becoming essential for enterprises, academia, and governments
• GCCs create more value when they own outcomes, not just tasks
• India can be a strategic hub for AI, data, and product innovation
• The future of GCCs is defined by business impact, customer success, and measurable results

To know more about HFS on Global Capability Centers (GCCs), visit us here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/global-capability-centers-gccs/

We recently launched our GCC Pulse Report, "Ownership is the next imperative for India's GCCs to become generative enterprises." Read more here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/rIndia’s/indias-gcc-pulse-index/

In this episode of HFS Unfiltered Stories, Saurabh Gupta, President of HFS Research, speaks with Manohar Atreya, Chief Operating Officer of iOPEX, about turning Services-as-Software™ from concept into reality and why outcome-led, AI-driven delivery requires moving beyond traditional FTE and effort-based models.

Manohar shares how iOPEX embeds intelligence into business workflows across revenue and service operations, with real-world examples spanning advertising, cybersecurity, telecom, and field services. They also explore why enterprises remain stuck in AI pilot purgatory, how to address data, process, technology, and talent debt, and why successful AI transformation starts with the right business case rather than large-scale modernization.

The conversation closes on the growing opportunity for outcome-based models, AI orchestration, and services delivered as intellectual property, and why Services-as-Software represents a new model for enterprises and providers to learn to buy and sell.

Read the associated HFS Challengers’ Code report, “Scaling enterprise AI requires an always-on intelligence layer: The iOPEX model,” here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/scaling-enterprise-ai-requires-an-always-on-intelligence-layer-the-iopex-model/#ServicesAsSoftware #AgenticAI #EnterpriseAI #OutcomeBasedPricing #AIOrchestration #iOPEX #HFSResearch #DigitalTransformation

Most GCCs still focus on scale and cost. Evernorth Health Services is doing something different.  In this episode, Prashanthi Bodugam, Head of Evernorth Health Services India, shares how her team has transformed a fast-growing GCC from a traditional shared services model into an AI-first strategic hub in under two years. It’s a practical look at how healthcare GCCs can move past cost arbitrage and start driving real enterprise value. Prashanthi dives into what it takes to reimagine workforce skills, build responsible governance, and embed AI into core outcomes such as claim processing and patient care. Her point is direct: AI works best when it amplifies human expertise rather than replaces it, and the next frontier for GCCs is deep integration of AI into enterprise workflows.

With over 20 years of leading GCCs and shaping Cigna’s India operations, Prashanthi offers a blueprint for quickly scaling innovation without sacrificing trust or compliance. If you’re a healthcare leader, CTO, or CFO trying to unlock real AI value in a regulated industry, this one is worth your time.

What you’ll hear:

• Why healthcare GCCs are moving beyond cost savings
• How Evernorth is transforming in under two years
• Why AI literacy and responsible governance matter
• Real AI use cases in claims processing and patient care
• How to build an AI-first culture without losing human oversight

Key takeaways:

• GCCs can create strategic value beyond execution and scale
• AI works best when paired with human oversight and governance
• Practical use cases like claims automation deliver real impact
• Workforce upskilling is essential for AI adoption
• Healthcare leaders must balance innovation, Trust, and compliance

To know more about HFS on Global Capability Centers (GCCs), visit us here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/global-capability-centers-gccs/

We recently launched our GCC Pulse Report, “Ownership is the next imperative for India’s GCCs to become generative enterprises.” Read more here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/indias-gcc-pulse-index/

In this episode of HFS Unfiltered, Hansa Iyengar, Practice Leader at HFS Research, speaks with David McQueen, EY's Global SAP Consulting Managing Partner & Global Consulting Executive Committee Member, about what separates a technically successful SAP S/4HANA migration from a transformation that delivers real business value. The discussion follows EY's recognition in Horizon 3 of the HFS SAP S/4HANA Transformation Services Horizons.

David explains why successful ERP transformation depends on three fundamentals: clean, well-governed data, deep process expertise, and strong, business-led change management. While AI is accelerating ERP programs, it amplifies the importance of these foundations rather than replacing them.

The conversation also explores outcome-based transformation, including EY’s "phase zero" approach and the Transformation Realized platform, which helps define value up front and align commercial models with measurable business outcomes. David argues that future success depends on shared accountability between clients and systems integrators.

They conclude by discussing the need for stronger business ownership, cross-functional collaboration, and better governance throughout transformation programs. David’s key takeaway is clear: SAP transformations succeed when they’re treated as business initiatives supported by technology, not technology projects alone.

Learn more about the 2026 HFS Horizons: SAP S/4HANA Transformation Services covering 25 global service providers: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/hfs-horizons-sap-s-4hana-transformation-services-2026/

#SAP #S4HANA #ERP #DigitalTransformation #EnterpriseAI #OutcomeBasedPricing #ChangeManagement #EY #HFSResearch #BusinessTransformation

In this episode of HFS Unfiltered, Achyuta Ghosh of HFS Research speaks with Ashok Chawla, Co-Chief Delivery Officer at RSI (formerly R Systems), following RSI’s recognition as a Horizon 2 player in the HFS GCC Services Horizons report. They explore how mid-market GCCs are being built AI-native from the start and shifting from operational metrics and cost efficiency to business outcomes, product innovation, and co-creation.

What you’ll hear:

• How RSI takes an AI-first approach to building and transforming GCCs
• How GCC’s co-pilot and EXIQO AI Studio support AI-native transformation and workforce reskilling
• How a healthcare GCC achieved 30–40% higher productivity than its headquarters within six months
• How RSI’s C-Osmosis model helps existing GCCs transform teams and embed AI into products

Key takeaways:

• GCC success is increasingly measured by business outcomes, not operational metrics
• AI-native talent and operating models are becoming essential
• GCCs are evolving from cost centers into hubs for product innovation and growth
• Co-creation and agentic product transformation will be key differentiators

Learn more about the 2026 HFS Horizons: Global Capability Centers (GCC) Services, covering 24 service providers across the GCC value chain, here:https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/hfs-horizons-global-capability-centers-gcc-services-2026/#GCC #GlobalCapabilityCenter #AINative #AIFirst #ProductEngineering #RSI #RSystems #HFSResearch #HFSUnfiltered #AgenticAI

In this episode of HFS GCC Advantage, Sunil Gopinath, CEO of Albertsons Companies India, shares how the India GCC has evolved into a strategic engine for enterprise AI, product ownership, and business transformation. He explores the shift from delivery to end-to-end outcome ownership and how AI is helping Albertsons improve decisions, operations, and customer experiences at scale.

What you’ll hear

• How Albertsons India evolved from support to end-to-end ownership
• Why AI must improve real business decisions to create value
• Why a platform approach, governance, and data quality are critical for scaling AI
• How AI supports predictive operations, root-cause analysis, and AIOps
• Why adoption is the true measure of AI maturity

Key takeaways

• GCCs become strategic when they own business outcomes
• Enterprise AI requires strong governance, data, and scalable platforms
• AI should augment decisions, not simply automate processes
• Adoption and measurable impact matter more than launching pilots
• The future of GCCs lies in deeper ownership and business alignment

To know more about HFS on Global Capability Centers (GCCs), visit us here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/global-capability-centers-gccs/

We recently launched our GCC Pulse Report, "Ownership is the next imperative for India's GCCs to become generative enterprises." Read more here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/indias-gcc-pulse-index/

This episode explores what it really takes to move AI beyond pilots and deliver enterprise-wide impact. It highlights why successful AI adoption depends on more than technology, emphasizing the critical roles of leadership, culture, collaboration, and operational readiness. The conversation also examines the mindset shift organizations need to scale AI with confidence, break down silos, and transform experimentation into measurable business value.

Featuring Achyuta Ghosh, Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, and Sameer Shaikh, Senior Director, Technology & FSS at XPO, this discussion brings together industry research and real-world enterprise experience to explore the challenges, opportunities, and practical strategies for scaling AI across the enterprise.

What you'll hear

• Why a learning mindset is essential for scaling AI
• How breaking down silos improves adoption across large organizations
• Why data readiness and process redesign are critical to success
• The role of leadership, governance, and psychological safety in AI adoption
• How to move AI from isolated pilots to enterprise impact
• Why AI should become a habit, not just a project

Key takeaways

• Culture is a major driver of AI success at scale.
• Collaboration and shared ownership help AI spread across the enterprise.
• Data readiness and process redesign are key foundations for impact.
• Leadership and psychological safety support experimentation and adoption.
• AI delivers the most value when it is embedded into everyday business operations.

To know more about HFS on Global Capability Centers (GCCs), visit us here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/global-capability-centers-gccs/

We recently launched our GCC Pulse Report, "Ownership is the next imperative for India's GCCs to become generative enterprises." Read more here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/indias-gcc-pulse-index/

In this episode of HFS GCC Advantage, we speak with Shalini Sankarshana, Managing Director, Planview, Inc., about how Planview’s India GCC has evolved from a capability center into a strategic engine for product ownership, engineering, business accountability, and market growth. Shalini shares how the team built end-to-end ownership across major products, expanded into AI-led innovation with the Anvi platform, and is now helping drive India as both a talent base and a revenue opportunity.

What you’ll hear

• How Planview built its India GCC with a clear strategy from the start
• The shift from support work to product engineering ownership
• How India now runs 8 of 16 products end-to-end
• Why the team focused on global capability building and operational optimization
• How Planview is using AI and the ANVI platform to reshape product and platform strategy
• What it takes to move from a cost center to a revenue-generating business unit
• How India is becoming both a talent hub and a market growth engine

Key takeaways

• India GCCs are evolving from support centers into strategic business hubs.
• Early ownership of business problems builds stronger trust and accountability.
• Product engineering and operations can be redesigned for global, self-sufficient teams.
• AI is becoming central to platform strategy, governance, and decision-making.
• India is increasingly important not just as a talent location, but as a market and growth engine.
• The future of GCCs is deeper ownership, stronger customer orientation, and clearer business outcomes.

To know more about HFS on Global Capability Centers (GCCs), visit us here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/global-capability-centers-gccs/

We recently launched our GCC Pulse Report, "Ownership is the next imperative for India's GCCs to become generative enterprises." Read more here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/indias-gcc-pulse-index/

In this episode of HFS Unfiltered, Saurabh Gupta, President of HFS Research, is joined by Anuj Krishna, Cofounder and President - Technology & Growth of MathCo, to discuss one of the least understood reasons enterprise AI stalls: the absence of context.

The pattern is everywhere. Enterprises have sky-high AI ambitions, yet pilots multiply and almost none reach production, what Saurabh calls “death by a thousand POCs.” In research HFS and MathCo ran together, roughly two-thirds of enterprises admitted they don't know where their knowledge lives; it's trapped in people's heads, undocumented processes, and scattered data. Anuj's argument: organizations obsess over models when the real advantage lies in context, who they are, how they work, and the knowledge behind their decisions.

The conversation goes deep on what context actually is, why it can't be static, and who should own it, including the shift toward a federated model with “context stewards” by function. Anuj also lays out how MathCo differs from the platform owners and SIs racing to be “context kings”: rent the tech ecosystem, but own the intelligence, because you can't own your intelligence unless you own your knowledge, and an organization's context is its personality. Saurabh closes with a sharp thesis: models and agents will become a utility, and neither will differentiate you, but context is your identity, and owning it is the only sustainable advantage going forward.

Read the associated Take 5 Report, titled "Fund the context layer and close the 2.5x AI ambition gap," here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/fund-layer-ai-ambition-gap/

#EnterpriseAI #ContextEngineering #AgenticAI #OwnYourIntelligence #MathCo #HFSResearch #AIStrategy #DataGovernance #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfWork

Global in-house centers and Global Business Services are no longer just about efficiency and scale. In this conversation, Arvind Shankar from Reckitt shares how GCCs are being reshaped by human-centered transformation, enterprise orchestration, and AI-driven operating models. From talent redesign to governance and tacit knowledge, this episode explores what it takes to build future-ready organizations that create real business outcomes.

What you'll hear

• How GCCs and GBS are evolving from process efficiency to enterprise orchestration
• Why human-centric, outcome-based transformation models matter
• What the future of talent looks like in the GenAI era
• How organizations can move from AI pilots to enterprise-wide orchestration
• The role of trust, governance, and organizational context in AI adoption
• Practical examples of AI in regulatory workflows and marketing
• Why operating models need to shift from SLAs to value creation

Key takeaways

• The future of GCCs is less about cost and more about enterprise outcomes.
• Human-centered transformation creates stronger alignment across business, talent, and technology.
• AI success depends on orchestration, governance, and contextual knowledge—not just tools.
• Organizations need AI fluency, but also new leadership and operating capabilities.
• Tacit knowledge and organizational context are becoming key competitive advantages.

To know more about HFS on Global Capability Centers (GCCs), visit us here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/global-capability-centers-gccs/

We recently launched our GCC Pulse Report, "Ownership is the next imperative for India's GCCs to become generative enterprises." Read more here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/indias-gcc-pulse-index/