How GCCs are Building a Culture That Works for All

 Inside a modern GCC in India, Pride Month initiatives spark conversations around identity, inclusion, and allyship.

15 JUNE 2025  /  3 min read

This June, as Pride Month infuses cities around the world with vibrant celebration and visible advocacy, a quieter yet equally powerful transformation is unfolding in India. Beyond the parades and public displays, there’s a shift happening within the boardrooms and hallways of India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs).

Traditionally seen merely as hubs of technology, data, and operational efficiency for multinational corporations, these centres are now taking on a deeper, more profound role as active pioneers of social and cultural change. Led by organisations like EY India, whose recent Pride Month initiative (aptly titled "Strengthening Every Step") highlights intentional and authentic inclusion, GCCs are demonstrating that genuine LGBTQIA+ representation requires sustained, systemic commitment beyond symbolic gestures.

This moment marks a quiet evolution—where India’s GCCs are not merely observers but active drivers embedding true diversity, equity, and inclusion into the very fabric of corporate culture.

From Codes to Culture

Just a decade ago, India’s GCCs operated largely under the radar, seen as cost-efficient back offices supporting global operations. These centres were primarily evaluated on productivity and scalability, not cultural leadership. Organisational identity was often an extension of headquarters, and efforts around diversity and inclusion were minimal, with most programmes confined to gender diversity or periodic sensitivity training. Conversations around LGBTQIA+ inclusion, in particular, were nearly nonexistent, mirroring broader societal discomfort and the legal ambiguity that prevailed in India at the time.

That began to shift significantly after the 2018 landmark Supreme Court judgment decriminalising Section 377. This legal recognition acted as a catalyst, opening the door for global companies to align their Indian operations with inclusive international values. GCCs—which had already grown in size, capability, and strategic importance—suddenly found themselves under a different kind of spotlight: one that demanded cultural congruence, not just cost competence.

Time for Action

Driven by a mix of global DEI frameworks, leadership accountability, and a rising wave of employee expectations, inclusion has moved from the periphery to the centre of GCC strategies. And with that, Pride Month in India has taken on a very different tone—not just as a symbol, but as a reflection of year-round commitment and structural reform.

Take GSK India, for instance, where their "Spectrum" Employee Resource Group has matured from annual Pride celebrations into a year‑round movement. According to their 2024 ESG report, inclusion forms one of six core pillars, assessed through employee surveys (81 % favourable score) and governed by country‑based pay‑fairness reviews. Also in 2024, GSK hosted a full-scale Pride march at their Bangalore GCC, accompanied by events like “Breaking the Bias” and “Rainbow Reflections”, and even a recruitment drive aimed at LGBTQIA+ professionals.

And then there’s EY India, whose inclusive ethos—declared in both global DEI statements and local “Belonging Barometer” research—culminates in their “Strengthening Every Step” campaign. This isn’t just gingerbread flair for June; it’s part of a strategic continuity plan backed by leadership commitments and senior role models. In FY24, multiple EY professionals were included in the OUTstanding LGBTQ+ Role Model lists. Workplace inclusion here is a core performance lever, not an annual afterthought.

Even with such progress, the road to equity is far from over. Publicly available data points to the fact that India continues to face stubborn gaps in representation—women hold only around 23% of permanent roles, with tech and consumer services leading at ~34%. When it comes to LGBTQIA+ inclusion, the data is even more sparse, often invisible within corporate reporting. But that lack of data doesn’t imply lack of presence—it reflects the ongoing need for courageous visibility and institutional support.

Change is Afoot 

And yet, not all is lost. Change is not only possible—it’s already unfolding. What we’re seeing in India’s GCCs is not just a culture shift—it’s a blueprint. A model for how operational centres can become transformation engines. By embedding LGBTQIA+ inclusion into business strategies, leadership scorecards, and daily behaviours, these organisations are proving that equity doesn’t slow down performance; it powers it.

As the Pride flags come down at the end of June, what will matter most is what stays up — policies, protections, pipelines, and pride that lives beyond a month. Because the measure of inclusion is not visibility in moments of celebration, but continuity in moments of silence.

GCCs have the reach, the resources, and increasingly, the resolve to lead this charge—not just within their organisations, but across India’s corporate landscape. In doing so, they’re not only strengthening every step—they're setting the pace.