What It Really Takes to Launch a Technology Center in India: Lessons from the Field

Setting up a technology center in India might sound like a straightforward cost-saving strategy—identify a location, hire developers, and start building. But after having led this journey for both startups and global enterprises, I can confidently say: it’s far more nuanced than that.

Launching a successful tech center in India isn’t just about hiring talent. It’s about building trust, designing a scalable structure, and aligning a global team with unified goals across two very different worlds. Done right, it becomes a powerful engine for innovation and growth. Done hastily, it becomes a liability.

Here’s what I’ve learned from nearly two decades of building and operating Global Capability Centers (GCCs), most recently for Xylem, a global leader in water technologies, and previously for Trilliant Networks, a smart grid solutions provider.

Start With a Clear Mandate—and Executive Support

Before the first hire or the first office lease, you need alignment from the top. A GCC should not be treated as an afterthought or a side project. When leadership sees it as a strategic investment—and communicates that clearly—everything else falls into place more smoothly.

In both cases—Trilliant and Xylem—I was a trusted employee with deep relationships across the leadership team. This trust empowered me to make key decisions in India that aligned with the company’s goals and culture. Without that trust and clarity from HQ, a new center can flounder in its purpose.

Know the Market—and the Micro-Markets

India is not a monolith. Bangalore is different from Pune, which is different from Coimbatore. Your choice of city should align with your technical needs, available talent, and long-term business plans.

At Xylem, we chose Bangalore, not only for its talent pool but also for the presence of a mature startup and technology ecosystem. We operated within an SEZ (Special Economic Zone), which gave us tax advantages for five years—critical during the ramp-up phase. That required early legal groundwork, government filings, and compliance reviews—not exactly a plug-and-play process.

Build a Hybrid Team with the Right Leadership

One of the most critical success factors is choosing the right leadership on the ground. At Xylem, I led over 200 engineers organized into three groups: Global Engineering, Solutions Development, and Services (including NOC and Support). The key wasn’t just hiring qualified engineers; it was hiring those who could operate in a hybrid global team with real-time collaboration across time zones.

I also helped create a work culture rooted in servant leadership—hiring slowly, mentoring consistently, and creating a “fun” work environment where talent thrives and marginalized candidates get meaningful opportunities.

Avoid Treating Your India Center Like an Outsourced Vendor

This is a mistake I see often. Companies set up a center and assign only the leftover or repetitive work—coding, documentation, testing—treating the center like a glorified BPO. That’s a recipe for disengagement and churn.

Instead, give the India team ownership. Let them be part of the product journey from the start: requirement gathering, prototyping, customer engagement, and support. At Xylem, this philosophy helped us launch seven full production applications now used by customers around the world.

Communicate Transparently—and Often

Launching a center is one thing. Integrating it into the company culture is another. That requires real-time communication and cross-pollination.

I’ve found it essential to rotate meeting times between teams in the US and India to maintain respect and balance. I also encouraged on-site visits from US colleagues to the India office and vice versa. These aren’t luxuries—they’re investments in long-term collaboration.

Prepare for the Long Game

This isn’t a three-month project. You’re not building a freelance pod—you’re building a capability. That means thinking ahead about career paths, internal branding, infrastructure upgrades, and even local partnerships.

When I advise others now on building technology centers in India, I always ask: “Are you in this for the long haul?” If the answer is yes, then we can start building a center that truly delivers.

Final Thoughts

India offers immense potential—an unmatched combination of talent, time zone advantage, and technical depth. But unlocking that value requires more than a checklist. It requires vision, cultural empathy, operational grit, and strong leadership.

If your company is considering launching a technology center in India—or is struggling to get an existing one off the ground—I’d be happy to share what I’ve learned and help you navigate the journey.

Let’s connect HERE or on LinkedIn. I look forward to networking with other leaders in the industry.