Hyderabad Hosts High-Impact Conference on Leadership, Strategy & GCC Growth

Hyderabad, November 21, 2025 — A power-packed conference titled “Leadership in a Changing World: Driving Strategy, Digital Transformation, and GCC Growth” brought together senior business leaders, GCC heads, and technology experts at The Leela, Banjara Hills. The evening highlighted how India—and Hyderabad in particular—is emerging as a global engine for strategy, digital transformation, and next-generation finance talent.

Jointly organised by the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FTCCI) and the Association of Accountants and Financial Professionals in Business (IMA), the conference aimed to deepen industry understanding of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and their fast-expanding global relevance.

FTCCI President R. Ravi Kumar opened the session by emphasising that GCCs have become strategic hubs for innovation and operational excellence. He noted Hyderabad’s rapid rise as a GCC powerhouse. “Almost 46% of all new GCCs in India are coming to Hyderabad. Companies like EY, Deloitte, MassMutual, TCS, TESCO, and Reckitt are choosing the city for leadership, capability building, and next-gen innovation,” he said.

FTCCI and IMA also formalised a new collaboration through an MoU to scale high-quality upskilling programs in finance, strategy, and digital capability development.

Delivering the keynote, Michael DePrisco, President & CEO of IMA, spoke about the widening global skill gap in accounting and finance. According to him, India now plays a crucial role in filling this gap. “US firms increasingly turn to India to bridge their Accounting and Financial skill needs,” he said, adding that Indian CFOs are shifting from compliance-focused roles to strategy-driven leadership supported by AI and analytics.

Sunil Deshmukh, Chair Emeritus of the IMA Global Board of Directors, delivered a forward-looking address on the future of finance leadership in an AI-driven world. He stated that AI and automation will dominate the skill landscape in 2026. “Digital fluency is the new currency of modern leadership. Without it, strategy simply cannot scale,” he said. Calling AI the new Google, he stressed that every leader must understand data and think ahead with the mindset of a diplomat.

Across the evening, industry experts reiterated how GCCs are reshaping global business models by blending India’s strong technology ecosystem with its analytical depth and customer-centric innovation. Three panel discussions explored the evolution of GCCs, India’s growing strength in global finance transformation, and how AI and analytics are redefining agility and predictive intelligence.

Speakers pointed out that Hyderabad is already home to around 360 GCCs, with the number rising steadily. Globally, nearly two million professionals work across 2,000 GCCs—a workforce expected to double to four million soon. The industry, currently valued at USD 50–60 billion, is projected to reach USD 80–90 billion in the near future.

Hyderabad’s talent pool, favourable policies, infrastructure, climate, and

governance were highlighted as strong reasons behind the city’s fast-growing appeal.

The conference closed with a collective call to strengthen partnerships between industry, government, and knowledge institutions to accelerate innovation-led growth in an increasingly complex global environment.

More than 120 professionals attended the event, making it a memorable and insightful evening for the region’s business and finance community.

Media Contact: Solus MediaD. RamchandramMobile: 9848042020