2nd edition of BW People GCC Talent World Summit & Awards set for 3 December in Bengaluru

BW Businessworld and BW People are set to bring together senior industry leaders, GCC executives and HR professionals for the 2nd Edition of the BW People GCC Talent World Summit & Awards 2026, scheduled for 3 December at The Taj, MG Road, Bengaluru. Under the theme “GCC 5.0: The Talent Equity Revolution”, the summit will examine how India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are moving beyond traditional cost efficiency towards strategic value creation, product ownership, intellectual property creation and AI-led innovation.

Nominations are now open for the BW People GCC Talent World Awards 2026, inviting GCCs, organisations, HR teams and individual leaders to showcase their achievements in talent management, workforce transformation and business innovation. The deadline for nominations is 30 October 2026. BW People is also inviting brands and organisations to explore sponsorship and industry partnership opportunities associated with the summit.

As Indian GCCs assume greater responsibility for global research and development, technology, product strategy and enterprise decision-making, the talent agenda is undergoing a significant shift. Organisations are increasingly focusing on skills-based workforce models, continuous learning, specialised capabilities in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing and cybersecurity, and more agile approaches to talent development. The summit will explore how these changes are reshaping leadership priorities, employee expectations and the future of work.

The event will bring together GCC country and site leaders, CXOs, CHROs, HR heads, technology and finance leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders for a day of keynote addresses, expert talks, panel discussions and leadership conversations. The programme will examine how organisations can build resilient workforces, encourage innovation and create talent ecosystems that support long-term business growth.

The awards provide a platform for organisations and professionals to showcase their initiatives, gain recognition among industry peers and highlight their contribution to the evolution of the GCC ecosystem. Nominations are open across organisational, team and individual categories.

Organisational categories include GCC of the Year, for large-scale GCCs with 1,000 or more employees; Best Emerging GCC of the Year, for GCCs operating for less than three years; Strategic Value Creator GCC of the Year; and Best GCC Transformation.

Team categories cover Best Talent Acquisition Strategy, Best Employer Branding Strategy, Best Skills-Based Workforce Model, Excellence in Industry-Academia Collaboration, Excellence in Agile Learning and Development, Best Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Initiative, Excellence in Employee Well-being, Best Employee Retention Strategy, Best Use of AI and Automation in HR, Best HR Tech Implementation, Best Future-Ready Workplace Design, and Excellence in People Analytics and Data-Driven Insights.

Individual categories recognise GCC Business Leader of the Year, GCC CHRO / HR Head / HR Leader of the Year, Emerging GCC HR Leader of the Year for professionals under 40, and leaders contributing to talent acquisition, industry-academia collaboration, learning and development, employer branding, skills-based workforce models, inclusion, employee well-being, retention, AI and automation, HR technology, future-ready workplace design, and people analytics.

The summit will feature senior industry leaders, including John Dawber, Vice President and Managing Director, Novo Nordisk GBS, India; Rajesh Mani, Managing Director, Citizens Financial Group India GCC; Krishna Kumar, Managing Director and Senior Vice President, India Business, and Automotive R&D Country Lead, Harman India; Ramkumar Narayanan, Executive Vice President, AI Technology Enablement, and Head of India and the Philippines, FIS; Dr Sanjeev Rastogi, Head of Group Policy Services, Adani Group, and Board Member, Global SSON; Kamal Sharma, Global Connected Hubs Leader and CSAME CIO, Carrier; Rajat Sinha, Managing Director and Head of HR, BNP Paribas; Roydon Gonsalvez, Senior Vice President, HR, and Head of Talent Management and Development, APAC, Northern Trust; and Sreedevi Hegde, Senior Vice President and India Country Head, Acentra Health.

The agenda will examine how GCCs can redefine their employee value propositions for AI-native workplaces, integrate autonomous AI agents into human-led teams and transition employees from process execution to enterprise architecture and decision-making. Discussions will also focus on creating learning ecosystems that develop judgement and collective intelligence, designing flexible career paths, ensuring fairness in algorithmic hiring and talent management, and expanding access to high-value global projects.

Other sessions will explore adaptive leadership, employee engagement, organisational belonging and collaboration. The programme will also examine partnerships between GCCs, academic institutions, startups and local governments to build sustainable talent pipelines in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, with an emphasis on emerging technology skills and regional workforce development.

The awards will be evaluated by a jury comprising senior business leaders, GCC executives, HR leaders and industry experts. The jury includes Dr Annurag Batra, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, BW Businessworld, and Founder, exchange4media; Ganesh Baliga, Head, Citi Solutions Center, India; Lalitha Indrakanti, CEO, Jaguar Land Rover; Madhavi Lall, Managing Director and Head of HR, India, Deutsche Bank AG; Raja Jamalamadaka, Managing Director, Roche Digital Center of Excellence, India; Ramkumar Narayanan, Executive Vice President, AI Technology Enablement, and Head of India and the Philippines, FIS; Veda Persad, Head of Service Level Governance and Reporting, and Country Executive, India, Northern Trust; and Sanjeev Kumar, CEO, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission.

The jury also includes John Dawber, Vice President and Managing Director, Novo Nordisk GBS, India; S Venkatesh, Senior HR Advisor and former Group CHRO and Management Board Member, RPG and Vedanta; Rajesh Mani, Managing Director, Citizens Financial Group India GCC; Atul Chanani, Head of Global Finance, Citi India GCC; Kamal Sharma, Global Connected Hubs Leader and CSAME CIO, Carrier; and Dr M Muneer, Founder Director and Chief Evangelist, Medici Institute, New York, alongside other veteran leaders of the industry.

The evening will feature three award programmes: the 2nd Edition of the BW People GCC Talent World Awards 2026, the 7th Edition of the BW People HR 40 Under 40 Awards, and the 2nd Edition of the BW People Rising Stars Under 30 Awards. Together, the programmes will recognise organisations, teams, established HR leaders and emerging professionals contributing to business performance and the future of work.

Alongside the summit, BW People is inviting brands and organisations to explore sponsorship and industry partnership opportunities. The event offers a platform to engage with senior GCC decision-makers, CXOs, CHROs, HR professionals and technology leaders, while associating with discussions on talent transformation, AI adoption, workforce innovation and the future of global business operations.

Organisations and professionals can submit nominations through the official BW People GCC Talent World Summit & Awards 2026 website. The deadline is 30 October 2026. Organisations interested in sponsorships and industry collaborations can contact the BW Businessworld team to explore available opportunities.

For nominations

Rohit Arora
Phone: +91 92179 55188
Email: [email protected]

For sponsorships and industry collaborations

Bilquis Naqvee
Phone: +91 9910382910
Email: [email protected]

Event Details

Event: BW People GCC Talent World Summit & Awards 2026
Awards: 2nd Edition of the BW People GCC Talent World Awards 2026
Theme: GCC 5.0: The Talent Equity Revolution
Date: 3 December 2026
Venue: The Taj, MG Road, Bengaluru
Nominations close: 30 October 2026
Website: https://bwevents.co.in/bwpeople/gcc-talent-world-summit-2026/