Rohit R. Chowdhry is a seasoned global executive with over three decades of experience in operations leadership, strategy consulting, and organizational transformation. He has built and scaled large Global Capability Centres through his leadership roles—including his tenure at Deloitte—bringing practical insight into innovation, governance, and the evolving role of GCCs. A bestselling author, speaker, and executive coach, Rohit helps organizations and leaders navigate complexity with clarity and purpose. His book, The Future-Ready GCC, distills years of hands-on experience into a practical guide for GCCs aspiring to strengthen their strategic relevance and long-term impact.
The Literature Times: What inspired you to write The Future-Ready GCC and focus on this particular phase of GCC evolution?
Rohit R. Chowdhry: Over the years, I’ve seen GCCs move from transactional hubs to powerful engines of innovation and transformation. Yet many are still caught between ambition and reality; struggling with alignment, talent, governance, digital adoption and leadership readiness. I wrote this book to address exactly that gap. We are at a defining moment where creativity, adaptability and future-focused leadership will shape the next era of GCCs. My goal was to offer a practical, experience-based roadmap that helps leaders build GCCs that don’t just respond to change but drive it.
The Literature Times: What are some of the most common misconceptions organizations have about GCCs today?
Rohit R. Chowdhry: A persistent misconception is seeing GCCs primarily as cost centers rather than strategic capability creators. Many believe that digital maturity will happen automatically or that efficiency alone defines success. Others assume innovation is a technology problem, when in reality it is a cultural and leadership challenge. A surprising misconception is that alignment with enterprise strategy happens by default; when it requires deliberate governance, trust-building and strong relationships. These assumptions limit what GCCs can truly become.
The Literature Times: When a GCC aims to move from a cost-focused model to a strategic value model, what early indicators determine its readiness for that shift?
Rohit R. Chowdhry: Readiness shows up when alignment, capability and culture start converging. You see leaders demonstrating strategic curiosity, teams showing appetite for more complex work and stakeholders engaging the GCC earlier in the decision cycle. Early signs include the presence of strong functional anchors, emerging digital talent and a shift from SLA-driven conversations to business-outcome conversations. When the GCC starts influencing enterprise priorities, not just executing them, it signals that the move toward strategic value is underway.
The Literature Times: Which personal experiences in building and scaling GCCs influenced the frameworks you share in the book?
Rohit R. Chowdhry: Much of the book is grounded in building large teams from scratch, navigating misalignment with enterprise expectations, developing leaders and driving efficiency while introducing innovation. I’ve dealt with talent shortages, operational complexities, digital adoption challenges and the need to strengthen governance at scale. These experiences shaped a practical understanding of the seven major challenges GCCs face today. The frameworks are designed to help leaders avoid common pitfalls and move with clarity in an environment that is fast-paced and often ambiguous.
The Literature Times: Among the insights contributed by global leaders in the book, which perspectives stood out to you the most?
Rohit R. Chowdhry: What stood out was their collective emphasis on creativity, adaptability and the human side of transformation. Many leaders highlighted that technology, by itself, cannot elevate a GCC, what matters is how people think, collaborate and innovate. Several reinforced the importance of talent development, cross-functional agility and purpose-driven culture. Their perspectives validated a core theme of the book: future-ready GCCs are built at the intersection of digital capability and human imagination.
The Literature Times: Can you share a compelling example of a GCC transformation that demonstrates the power of aligning vision with strong execution?
Rohit R. Chowdhry: One example involved a GCC that moved from fragmented operations to becoming an enterprise-wide innovation partner. The transformation began once the leadership articulated a clear vision, centered around strategic alignment, talent development and digital capability. This was matched with disciplined execution: stronger governance, modern technology adoption and empowering leaders to think creatively. In a short period, the GCC became a catalyst for enterprise transformation, proving that when vision and execution work in harmony, impact multiplies.
The Literature Times: What leadership qualities do you believe are essential for building high-performing, future-ready GCCs?
Rohit R. Chowdhry: Future-ready GCC leaders must combine creativity with adaptability. They need strategic clarity, the ability to navigate ambiguity and the courage to challenge traditional ways of working. They must be skilled at influencing without authority, building trust across geographies and nurturing high-performing teams. Equally important is empathy – understanding what motivates people and creating a culture where innovation thrives. Leaders who balance digital intelligence with human connection will build the GCCs of tomorrow.
The Literature Times: How do you foresee GCC talent models evolving, especially with AI, automation, and digital skills becoming central?
Rohit R. Chowdhry: Talent models will shift toward a blend of domain depth, digital fluency and creativity. AI and automation will handle routine work, pushing human talent toward judgment, innovation and problem-solving. GCCs will increasingly invest in internal academies, skill pathways and cross-functional learning. Leadership development will become a top priority, especially given today’s pipeline gaps. The future talent model is one where agility, continuous learning and hybrid skill sets define competitive advantage.
The Literature Times: If there were one capability that GCCs should invest in today to remain competitive tomorrow, what would it be and why?
Rohit R. Chowdhry: The most critical capability is strengthening strategic alignment, and the ability to translate enterprise vision into meaningful action. When GCCs develop the competence to influence priorities, shape solutions and build trust with global stakeholders, they unlock every other opportunity: digital transformation, smart scaling, innovation and stronger governance. Strategic capability is the foundation on which future-ready GCCs stand.
The Literature Times: How do you imagine the role of GCCs transforming by 2035, and what part of that future excites you the most?
Rohit R. Chowdhry: By 2035, GCCs will operate as global hubs of innovation, leadership development and digital capability. They will co-create business models, accelerate enterprise-wide transformation and integrate human creativity with advanced technology. What excites me most is the possibility of GCCs becoming purpose-driven ecosystems – places where talent grows faster, ideas move freely and organizations experiment boldly. The GCCs of 2035 won’t just support the enterprise; they will shape its future.
The Literature Times: What gap in the GCC ecosystem did you feel urgently needed to be addressed through this book?
Rohit R. Chowdhry: For years, I noticed a recurring gap between intent and execution in GCCs. Leaders aspired to move up the value chain, but they lacked a structured, practitioner-led roadmap to make that shift real. Most literature relied on theory; very little captured the practical realities of aligning strategy, talent, technology, and governance. This book fills that gap. It translates decades of hands-on experience into frameworks that GCCs can apply immediately to become strategic, innovation-driven institutions.
The Literature Times: Who is this book written for, and what immediate value can readers expect to take away?
Rohit R. Chowdhry: This book is for GCC leaders, enterprise stakeholders and practitioners who want clarity in an increasingly complex ecosystem. Whether you’re setting up a GCC, scaling it, or transforming it, the book gives you actionable steps to navigate ambiguity. Readers will walk away with structured frameworks, leadership insights and real examples that help them shift from operational excellence to strategic impact. It’s designed to be a practical companion rather than a theoretical guide.
The Literature Times: What makes “The Future-Ready GCC” different from other books on global business operations?
Rohit R. Chowdhry: Most books approach GCCs from either a consulting lens or an academic viewpoint. This one is grounded in real-world leadership experience – the wins, the setbacks and the lessons that only come from running and scaling centres over decades. It blends strategy with human leadership, operations with creativity and technology with adaptability. The book doesn’t just describe what GCCs should become – it shows how to get there, step by step.
The Literature Times: If a reader had only 30 minutes to go through your book, what is the one message you want them to leave with?
Rohit R. Chowdhry: That the future belongs to GCCs that combine technology with human creativity – and leadership with adaptability. You can have the best digital tools, but without strategic alignment, empowered talent, agile governance and a culture of innovation, the potential stays unrealized. If GCCs embrace these principles with intent, they can move from being support engines to becoming central contributors to enterprise growth and transformation.
