For Andrea Zimmerman, SVP and President of Target in India, global capability centres (GCCs) are not just strategic offshore units—they are fast becoming powerhouses of innovation, collaboration, and transformation. With India at the heart of this change, Zimmerman believes that the evolution of GCCs is shaping a bold new future for global enterprises, particularly in sectors such as retail.
In an interaction with Business Today, she stated that they have witnessed the role of GCCs evolve over the years, from cost arbitrage to execution delivery centers, and now to strategic drivers of transformation and enterprise value.
“As part of this evolution, the breadth of capabilities that GCCs offer has grown beyond technology and will continue to expand into many niche capabilities. With the focus shifting from a pure execution focus to a transformative one, the maturity of GCCs is deepening, and we’ll see different models of engagement emerging, shaped by the complexity of the work,” said Zimmerman
At Target in India, she said that their journey reflects this evolution, and they have been on a remarkable journey from building skills and talent in technology to delivering a broad spectrum of services (in partnership with their US team) that has expanded into marketing, properties, merchandising, supply chain, HR operations, finance and much more.
She believes that GCCs play a vital role in fuelling the country’s economic growth, nurturing a culture of excellence, and positioning India as a strategic hub for innovation and transformation.
“India-based GCCs are an asset for global companies looking to innovate with speed, resilience, and purpose,” Zimmerman said.
As GCCs mature, she believes that one of their pivotal strengths is leveraging co-located capabilities-bringing together diverse functions and services under one roof-to enhance collaboration and drive efficiencies.
While sharing her thoughts on the sectors which may dominate the GCC landscape in India by 2047? Zimmerman added that the mix of retail, technology, and talent in India has gigantic potential to shape global retailing and commerce. GCCs could also further enable a consistent and seamless guest (consumer) experience that is powered by technology across all channels, particularly with the emergence of the phygital guest.
“Given India’s local expertise across various retail functions – from quick service delivery and supply chain optimisation to hyperlocalisation, GCCs can take learnings from India to develop relevant solutions for their parent company. AI and GenAI will continue to unlock value across a wide spectrum of retail, transforming every facet of the ecosystem,” Zimmerman said adding the growing adoption of AI isn’t about replacing people — it’s about unlocking enterprise-wide speed, innovation, and scale, all while tapping into one of the world’s largest tech talent pools.
