India Preferred GCC Hub and 80% of Top 100 Global Retail/CPG Firms will Set Up GCCs by 2022: NASSCOM-ANSR Report

With industries now accelerating their digital transformation initiatives, large Retail/CPG enterprises are increasingly relying on their GCCs to successfully navigate complex nuances of their transformation journey and are one of the fastest-growing GCC segments in India. In this regard, the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) in association with ANSR, a global market leader in designing, establishing and operating Global Capability Centres (GCCs), released a survey report today titled’ ‘Evolution of Retail/CPG GCCs in India’. The report forecasts that 80% of the top 100 global Retail/CPG companies will consider establishing a GCC in India over the next two years.

It is estimated in the report that over 25 new GCC in Retail/CPG industry are looking at establishing GCCs in 2021 tapping onto the matured ecosystem of talent and global operating models. The complete report is available here.

The insights published in this report are primarily based on the responses received from the ‘State of the Retail/CPG GCCs in India’ survey rolled out to executives across global organizations who have Global Capability Centers (GCCs).  The report shares insights on various sections in terms of Retail/CPG GCC’s evolution in India. These include their landscape overview, value proposition, operating model and what will be their strategies beyond 2020. 

Captured below are the few main highlights of the survey:

There has been an accelerated growth in the number of GCCs set-up over the last 5 years. India is the home for the big Retail/CPG GCC brands globally and a majority of the investments are in the digital and innovation space

Retail/CPG companies are increasingly driving innovation from their GCCs by establishing labs and leveraging the start-up ecosystem. Bengaluru is the preferred GCC location hosting over 70% of Retail/CPG GCCs

India is home to GCCs for about 25% of global Retail/CPG companies and employs over 50,000 in headcount in India. With the ability to hire top-talent, GCCs are supporting efforts of global Retail / CPG companies to build a robust pool of enterprise talent

Companies are leveraging GCC to build digital and technology capabilities among other functions including core business and corporate support functions.

Over 25 new GCCs in Retail/CPG industry are looking at establishing GCCs in 2021 tapping onto the matured ecosystem of talent and global operating models 

Mature GCCs are focusing on disruptive technologies and innovation, while, newer GCCs are in the foundational stages and are focused on excelling in the current scope and helping their parent companies successfully navigate through the current pandemic

Sharing his thoughts on the report launch Lalit Ahuja, Founder & CEO, ANSR said, “India accounts for a vast majority of Retail/CPG companies and their GCCs in India. The global Retail/CPG industry is in the throes of a profound transformation leading to increased adoption of disruptive platforms including digital, data/AI, automation, and cloud. Over the coming years, we expect an upward, multi-dimensional trend of increasing number of Retail/CPG GCCs ‘twinning’ the enterprise, building a pool of future global leaders, developing capabilities at scale to accelerate business transformation and driving innovation in India. The NASSCOM- ANSR survey report is a ready reckoner that GCCs in India will play a pivotal role in reimagining the future of global Retail/CPG industry.”

Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM added, “It is phenomenal to see the Retail/CPG segment as one of the fastest-growing GCC segments in India. Several India-based Retail/CPG GCCs have now evolved to become the second headquarters for the host companies with functional responsibilities to own and drive critical business growth outcomes. In the next couple of years, we will witness a fundamental growth in this sector as top 100 global Retail/CPG companies will consider establishing a GCC in India to drive innovation and business transformation.”

The recent onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has taken this disruption to the next level and is forcing companies to re-think their businesses and business operating models. To summarize, the findings of this survey report, an overwhelming majority of CXOs acknowledge that benefits of GCCs are real and sustainable. As business leaders continue to push the frontiers of technology, organizations will be required to address these challenges and building stakeholder trust to rapidly scale their GCCs in the immediate future.

About ANSR

ANSR is a global leader in establishing & operating Global Capability Centers for global enterprises. Enterprises across industries and markets have relied on ANSR’s expertise in building world class technology and innovation capabilities in India and Eastern Europe. ANSR’s unique industry leading approach enables our clients to integrate digital platforms, capabilities and global teams within the enterprise Global Capability Centers. Since its inception, ANSR has established over 60 GCCs, aggregating to over 65,000 employees, with over $1.5B in investment and 7M sq. Ft of workspace.

About NASSCOM

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM®) is the premier trade body and chamber of commerce of the Tech industry in India and comprises over 2800-member companies including both Indian and multinational organisations that have a presence in India. Our membership spans across the entire spectrum of the industry from start-ups to multinationals and from products to services, Global Service Centers to Engineering firms. Guided by India’s vision to become a leading digital economy globally, NASSCOM focuses on accelerating the pace of transformation of the industry to emerge as the preferred enablers for global digital transformation. Our strategic imperatives are to reskill and upskill India’s IT workforce to ensure that talent is future-ready in terms of new-age skills, strengthen the innovation quotient across industry verticals, create new market opportunities - both international and domestic, drive policy advocacy to advance innovation and ease of doing business, and build the Industry narrative with focus on Talent, Trust and Innovation. And, in everything we do, we will continue to champion the need for diversity and equal opportunity.

NASSCOM has played a key role in not just the growth of the Industry to become a $180+Billion industry today, but we have helped establish the Tech industry in India as one of the most trusted partners, globally. NASSCOM continues to make significant efforts in contributing towards India’s GDP, exports, employment, infrastructure development and global visibility. Our membership base constitutes over 95% of the industry revenues in India and employs over 4 million professionals, and as technology blends into every aspect of the economy, we expect the industry to become key driver of growth, development and inclusion for the country. Our mission is to make India a global hub for Innovation and Talent so when the world thinks Digital, the world will think India.

Hyundai Motor India Foundation Donates 51 Sanitizing Equipment Under its ‘Grameen Sanitization’ Initiative

* Over 51 sanitizing equipment donated 

* Sanitization Training certificate by Hyundai Motor India Foundation and National Skill Development Corporation

* Impact Generation in over 300 villages and tehsils across India

After sanitizing 1,823 villages in 300 districts as a part of its unique Grameen Sanitization’ drive, Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF), the CSR arm of Hyundai Motor India Ltd., donated the equipment to 51 Sanitization personnel to help them continue to sustain themselves for an uninterrupted livelihood, as a mark of gratitude for their efforts and dedication.  The spraying personnel, who have been trained by HMIF are being certified by the National Skill Development Corporation and Commonwealth of Learning, for easy access to other employment or entrepreneurship opportunities.

Commenting on Sanitizing Equipment donation, Mr. Tarun Garg, Director (Sales, Marketing & Service), said, "Our global vision ‘Progress for Humanity’ holds a stronger significance in today’s context and as we accustom to the New Normal. Hyundai has been making exemplary efforts to assist its stakeholders to return to relative normalcy. We aim to create newer opportunities for seamless national development and economic recovery. This humble endeavour will help make these youths from towns and villages, more functional and self-reliant with a better future.”

As the country unlocked in phases, the public was wary of using public spaces, especially in rural areas, where access to professional sanitizing was out of reach for most administrations. Hence, HMIF conceived this project to instill confidence amongst the general public as they returned to normalcy.  The programme garnered hundreds of letters of gratitude from rural banks, police stations, panchayat offices etc.

Here Are Some Essential Winter Care Tips for Dry Eyes Across India

By Dr.Shushma, MBBS, MS FLVPEI, Consultant, Lasik & Cataract, Maxi Vision Group of eye hospitals, Hyderabad

Winters are here

This is the season much-awaited by all. Our winter wears are unfurled, days are ending soon, the leaves are falling off the trees and the cold winter breeze is nipping the air. While we are thrilled to welcome this weather with probable holiday plans, we neglect the most common issue of dry and itchy eyes. Not many of us know that it important to maintain the moisture of the eyes during winter in order to protect it from dryness. It is essential to maintain healthy eyes and follow eye care routines during these months.

Common Issues faced

Many of us may have noticed our body skin getting drier with dropping temperatures similarly the moisture of our eyes also dwindle due to evaporation. Some prevailing problems faced by many are:

* Use of heaters at cold regions increase evaporation resulting in teary, itchy, burning sensation, redness, and excessive tearing in the eye

* Untreated eyes for a prolonged period can cause blurry vision and damage the cornea

* Conjunctivitis or eye infection

* Dry air and poor ventilation

Winter eye care and protection

Eat & Drink Right

* Staying hydrated by drinking lots of fluids

* Include foods rich in Vitamin A and omega 3 fatty acids like fish, flax seeds & chia seeds. (They boost the functioning of Meibomian glands which increases the lipid layer in the tears and balances the eye moisture)

Use of eye-protective gears

* Artificial tears or its substitutes like eye drops or lubrication helps in restoring the natural moisture of the eyes

* Keep eyes protected with UV protected sunglasses especially in harsh environments as the exposure to UV light is generally more due to its reflection on snow. This can lead to snow blindness.

* Exposure to digital devices increases, dryness and frequent blinking of eyes hence must be avoided as much as possible

* Avoid frequent rubbing of eyes

* Stay away from direct contact with fire or heat at all times

In house measures

* Use of humidifiers combat dry weather and add moisture in the house

* Humidifiers should be clean and filters should be constantly checked

Key Hygiene to be followed

* Regularly washing hands to prevent any kind of infection or flu to the eye through contact of the hand and eye

* Avoid sharing cosmetics as they are prone to infections

* Ensure routine eye checkups and examinations for a healthy eyesight

We are all familiar with eating healthy, regular exercising, and visiting doctors for health checkups. Along with this, it is also important to check on eye health as well. We can learn and do what is necessary to maintain eye health to be able to appreciate its benefits in the coming times.

Launching of FRUITS Portal - An Initiative of e-Governance Department, Government of Karnataka

A function was organized on 22 December 2020 at NABARD, Karnataka Regional Office, wherein the “FRUITS” (Farmer Registration and Unified beneficiary Information System) Portal, a project of e-Governance, Government of Karnataka was inaugurated. 

Delivering the keynote address, Ms. A. Manimekhalai, Executive Director, Canara Bank, observed that Karnataka State Government has always been in the forefront of technical initiatives to improve the ease of Banking as can be seen from the various initiatives like BHOOMI Package, Debt Waiver Portal and currently, the FRUITS Portal.  The FRUITS Portal is integrated to the BHOOMI Package of the Karnataka State for fetching and validating the land details.  One other important facility of this Portal is online creation of charge by which visit of farmers to Sub-Registrar Office is avoided. She thanked the Karnataka State Government and NABARD for identifying our Bank for launching the pilot project and assured that they will take all necessary steps to make the Project, a success.

Speaking on the occasion, Sri Rajeev Chawla, Additional Chief Secretary,                  e-Governance, Government of Karnataka informed that this is the latest initiative from the Government of Karnataka to bring all the farmers in the State with land and other details to a single Portal.  In this Portal, all the farmers will be registered and given a FID Number.  Using this number, the Financial Institutions and Lending Institutions can access the land details of the farmers as well as their borrowings and take a quick decision on lending to the farmers depending on their requirements.  It is hoped that Bankers will find this initiative, a very useful one.  He also lauded Canara Bank for agreeing to take up the Project on a pilot basis.   Once the same is found successful, all other Financial Institutions will be brought on to the Portal so that at one place, all the data pertaining to the loans of the farmers will be available.

Sri Niraj Verma, Chief General Manager & Head of Karnataka Regional Office, NABARD informed that NABARD is always in the forefront to enable improvements in the living standards of farmers by taking initiatives in various fronts such as providing refinance at cheaper rates to Societies and RRBs etc.  He also informed that FRUITS Portal is the first of its kind in the country wherein the land and other details of all the farmers in the State are being captured and he hoped that this Project should serve as a role model to other States in the country.  Karnataka, being the IT Hub of the country, always had tech-enabled initiatives and this FRUITS Portal is one such proposal from the Government.  He also appreciated Canara Bank for accepting the pilot Project and hoped that soon all financial institutions will be onboarded to the Portal so as to have a single data source of the farmers. He thanked Department of e-Governance, Government of Karnataka for spearheading this initiative.

The gathering was welcomed by Dr K U Viswanathan, General Manager, NABARD and vote of thanks was proposed by Sri K.R. Badrinath, Deputy General Manager, Canara Bank.

Edtech Platform edWisor Launches edWisor Academy for Engineering and Management Candidates

Committed to resolving the tech employability issue, the leading edtech platform, edWisor, has launched edWisor Online Academy. The academy aims at training students and freshers from Engineering and Management backgrounds, in Sales, Business Development, MERN Stack, Data Analysis, and Business Intelligence functions online.

The edWisor Academy will replicate the necessary elements of a regular offline college such as hands-on experience and real-time projects into their edtech platform. It will also keep smaller batch sizes to increase interaction and personalize the learning experience for an individual.

The 100% live learning platform is not only instrumental in addressing the skill deficit but also the employability pool of Engineering, and Marketing candidates by guaranteeing placements into reputed partner organizations. Moreover, their income sharing agreement (ISA) model allows students to undergo training for different subjects after the payment of registration fees, without having to pay for the entire course upfront. The student is only liable to pay the course amount once they gain employment, which eliminates the burden of fee from the students, enabling them to focus solely on getting skilled. The onus of employability thus shifts from the students to the EdTech platform.

The payment plan for the respective course comes with an EMI option. As per the agreement, students can pay back the course fee from their annual CTC in installments.

Speaking on the launch, Mr. Ramandeep Arora, Founder and CEO, edWisor, said, "We are excited to take upskilling to the next level. edWisor Academy has a student-first policy, wherein we bring experiential training under the guidance of industry experts, just like a regular college, to an online platform. In fact, we have taken it up by more than just a notch with our smaller batch sizes that give students the individual attention that they require, and don't generally receive in a regular classroom. This way, they will be readily deployable at the onset, making them desirable for any tech role."

About edwisor:

Started in 2015 in Gurugram, edWisor is solving the problem of unemployability by connecting job seekers with experienced professionals from the industry who act as mentors in providing technical skills that are in demand among employers. Apart from acquiring technical skills, the platform also focuses on grooming the candidates through mock sessions and soft skills that better prepare them for interviews.

Local Services is Recovering in the New Normal: Market Study

* Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai lead the demand for online services

* Domestic Help Services, Placement Consultancies & Competitive Exam Coaching are the top leading service categories

A study undertaken by Sulekha.com, India’s leading AI-driven tech platform for expert services has unveiled interesting trends and insights about the service categories that have seen an increase from JAS (July – September) to OND (October – December).

This study is based on visits and searches by nearly 8,00,000 users across top 8 cities that landed on Sulekha through JAS (July – September) to OND (October – December).

Key findings of the study:

* The top 3 service categories that have seen a spike in online searches include Domestic Help Services, Placement Consultancies & Competitive Exam Coaching.

* Owing to the pandemic, increasingly people are working from home, which is clearly indicated by the rise in demand for Internet service providers and domestic help services.

* Comparing the growth in online searches for service categories from July – September 2020 and October – December 2020, the services grew by 95% for the top 8 cities.

* The top 5 cities that are leading in online searches across service categories include: Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai followed by Hyderabad and Chennai.

* In Delhi, the top 3 services that are leading include: Domestic Help Services, Placement Consultancies and Job Training. These services have grown by 84% quarter on quarter (JAS quarter vs OND quarter).

* In Bangalore, the top 3 services that are leading include: Placement Consultancies and Domestic Help Services and Paying Guests. These services have grown by 120% quarter on quarter (JAS quarter vs OND quarter).

* In Mumbai, the top 3 services that are leading include: Placement Consultancies, Job Training and Vehicle Rentals. These services have grown by 120% quarter on quarter (JAS quarter vs OND quarter).

* In Hyderabad, the top 3 services that are leading include: Domestic Help Services, Vehicle Rentals and Placement Consultancies. These services have grown by 128% quarter on quarter (JAS quarter vs OND quarter).

* In Chennai, the top 3 services that are leading include: Paying Guests, Domestic Help Services and Placement Consultancies. These services have grown by 75% quarter on quarter (JAS quarter vs OND quarter).

Satya Prabhakar, Founder & CEO, Sulekha.com, said, “According to CMIE (Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy), 5.5 lakh Indians lost their jobs in October 2020[1]. This is reflected in our study wherein we have witnessed continuous increase in online searches for service categories such as Placement Consultancies and Job Training. Interestingly, the number of people searching for vehicle rentals has also increased – as the unlock period progresses further.”

Vi Inks Strategic Partnership with Firework to Offer Vertical Video Stories to its Users

With the vision to offer exceptional customer experience, India’s leading telecom operator Vi has inked a strategic partnership with Firework, the world’s largest story publishing platform based in Silicon Valley.

This is the first time any Indian telecom operator has taken the lead to introduce the Stories format to its users. Globally, almost every platform is adopting the Stories format to enable higher engagement for its audiences. The partnership allows Vi to leverage Firework's massive content repository from global content studios and also get access to unique occupational generated content (OGC) creators who are expert storytellers across a wide genre of subjects.

Avneesh Khosla, Chief Marketing Officer, Vi said, “We provide an array of content from multiple OTT players varying across genres like Live TV, Movies and Web Series in multiple languages on Vi Movies and TV app. Vi is excited to be the 1st Telco to partner with Firework for powering the most trending short videos, specially curated for Vi customers. The format is designed to entertain you in “30 seconds” across various categories and interests. Mobiles have become the preferred screens for entertainment and the average time spent on watching short videos is significantly higher than long-form content, demonstrating that the engagement levels provided by short videos remain unparalleled. Through our partnership with Firework, Vi subscribers will get a wide choice of trending stories across genre and languages.”

Speaking about the partnership, Anand Vidyanand, President, Mobile at Firework said, “Firework, one of the first short video platforms to launch globally on Telco OTT, is excited to be partnering with a thought-leader like Vi to enhance their customer experience through continued innovation. Vi’s users can now enjoy their favorite content without the need of downloading another app. Vertical short-form video is the most effective form of mobile story-telling today and with this partnership, Firework is further strengthening its reach across Telecom operators, device manufacturers, and app developers. Firework is fully committed to Vi’s vision in bringing the best occupationally generated short-video content to its customers across nearly 40 delightful categories, including multiple Indic languages.”

While the collaboration enhances Vi’s customer experience and Firework’s reach significantly, it also addresses the need of the creator community with exceptional discoverability in a cluttered content space, pivotal on Firework’s large story ecosystem globally that include top tier traditional publishers, OEMs, network operators, and blogs.

About VI:

Vodafone Idea Limited is an Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone Group partnership. It is India’s leading telecom service provider. The Company provides pan India Voice and Data services across 2G, 3G and 4G platform. With the large spectrum portfolio to support the growing demand for data and voice, the company is committed to deliver delightful customer experiences and contribute towards creating a truly ‘Digital India’ by enabling millions of citizens to connect and build a better tomorrow. The Company is developing infrastructure to introduce newer and smarter technologies, making both retail and enterprise customers future ready with innovative offerings, conveniently accessible through an ecosystem of digital channels as well as extensive on-ground presence. The Company is listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India.