Assessing Odisha’s GCC ecosystem: In the age of automation and AI, should we adopt technology-led or talent-led growth strategy to future-proof the GCC ecosystem more effectively?

As AI and automation reshape the Global Capability Centre (GCC) landscape, Odisha faces a critical strategic choice: should it build its competitive advantage around cutting-edge technology infrastructure and AI capabilities, or invest primarily in developing specialized talent pools that can adapt as technology evolves?
The Technology-Led Case: GCCs will gravitate toward locations with superior digital infrastructure, AI/ML platforms, data centers, and automation-ready facilities. Odisha should become the testbed for next-generation GCC operations focused on analytics and innovation rather than routine tasks.
The Talent-Led Case: Technology commoditizes quickly. What differentiates sustainable GCC ecosystems is specialized talent, particularly in regulated domains (finance, insurance), multilingual capabilities for ASEAN/Japanese markets, and the human judgment and creativity that AI cannot replicate. Odisha should invest in academia-industry partnerships and niche expertise that builds irreplaceable human capital.
This debate brings together GCC leaders, technology providers, policymakers, and talent strategists to examine Odisha's optimal path forward, identifying critical success factors for each strategy, deal-breakers that make either approach unviable, and whether a precisely sequenced hybrid model offers the most realistic route to making Odisha a competitive, future-proofed GCC destination by 2030.