Newsroom

Galent Launches ‘Fourthwards’ Series on AI’s Role in Elevating GCC Value

Hyderabad/Bangalore, India – February 4, 2025 – Galent, an AI-native digital engineering firm, successfully hosted the inaugural in-person edition of its premium flagship Fourthwards Roundtable series, bringing together top industry leaders to shape AI-driven transformation in India’s Global Capability Centers (GCCs). Recently held in Hyderabad and Bangalore, these exclusive gatherings convened over 60 curated GCC leaders managing over 500K employees across 12+ Fortune 200 and 25+ Fortune 500 companies, across all major industry domains. The event featured Francisco D’Souza (Co-Founder & former CEO, Cognizant), Sumeet Chabria (CEO of ThoughtLinks, and ex-Global COO/CIO of Bank of America and HSBC, and Ashwin Bharath (CEO, Galent and Executive Chairman, Revature).

A Premier Platform for AI-led innovation

Fourthwards by Galent fosters cross-industry collaboration to help leaders navigate AI’s impact on global services, workforce transformation, and evolving service models. The discussions reinforced India’s leadership in AI-powered enterprise innovation and emphasized the need for collective action to unlock AI’s full potential.

Francisco D’Souza (Co-Founder & former CEO, Cognizant) and Sumeet Chabria (CEO, Thoughtlinks former Global COO/CIO, Bank of America) discuss AI’s impact on GCCs, moderated by Ashwin Bharath (CEO, Galent) at the Fourthwards Roundtable.

Event Highlights

  • Fireside Chat: Moderated by Ashwin Bharath, CEO, Galent, exploring AI’s role in reshaping GCC strategies to drive global innovation and value creation.
  • Roundtable Discussion: Led by Francisco D’Souza and Sumeet Chabria, facilitating candid conversations on AI strategy alignment, Generative AI differentiation, and scaling challenges.

Key Takeaways: AI’s Defining Role in GCC Evolution

  • GCCs as Strategic Hubs: Evolving beyond service centers into core enablers of enterprise strategy.
  • Unique Ecosystem Advantage:Housing top talent, reskilling capabilities, and a collaborative environment not easily replicated at enterprise HQs.
  • Leadership in AI & Tech: Playing a key role in R&D, data, analytics, and AI/ML innovation.
  • Responsible AI Adoption: Leaders stress governance, data security, and continuous reskilling.
  • AI Must Drive Business Outcomes: Adoption should deliver measurable financial and operational impact.
  • Reinvention Over Reengineering: AI demands a shift from incremental improvements to true transformation.
  • Evolving Roles:SDLC and TDLC models will shift toward product ownership and engineering-led approaches.

A Call to Action: The Time to Lead is Now

Held under Chatham House Rules, the discussions encouraged open conversations on AI’s opportunities and challenges.

Sharing his thoughts, Sumeet Chabria, CEO of ThoughtLinks, and ex-Global COO/CIO of Bank of America and HSBC said, “What we witnessed was a remarkable convergence of ideas and strategies. The participating GCC leaders demonstrated how they’re leveraging AI to transform their operations from traditional service delivery centers to strategic innovation hubs.”

“At Galent, we believe Generative AI & Agentic AI will open far more doors than they will close,” said Ashwin Bharath, CEO of Galent. “However, true success requires GCCs and enterprises to work as one. AI adoption is moving at unprecedented speed, and when the shift happens, GCCs must lead the charge—not play catch-up.”

“The dialogue around AI’s impact on GCCs has never been more critical,” said Sriram Rajagopal, Founder, Galent. “These roundtable discussions revealed how Indian GCCs are not just adapting to AI but actively driving innovation and creating new paradigms of value creation in the global services ecosystem.”

“As the world stands on the cusp of an AI-driven paradigm shift, GCCs have a unique opportunity to transcend their traditional roles and become epicenters of innovation and value creation. Through Fourthwards, we aim to foster an ecosystem of shared learning, collaboration, and transformation. This event is a testament to the power of collective wisdom in navigating the complexities of AI’s rapid evolution.” said Shankar Iyer, President & COO, Galent.



Leaders and experts engrossed in discussions on AI, transformation, and the road ahead for GCCs.

Launch of the Fourthwards Report

Ashwin Bharath, CEO of Galent, officially launched the Fourthwards Report: AI & the Future of GCCs – Navigating the GenAI Landscape, a definitive guide for industry leaders to understand and leverage Second Generation AI. This report distills critical insights on AI models, talent evolution, regulatory shifts, and workforce transformation—empowering GCCs to drive innovation and stay ahead in an AI-first world.

About Fourthwards by Galent

Fourthwards is Galent’s premier thought leadership series dedicated to AI’s role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It features exclusive roundtables and culminates in annual reports offering actionable insights on AI, regulatory landscapes, and workforce evolution.

About Galent

Galent is an AI-native digital engineering firm delivering enterprise-ready AI solutions. With a mission to help organizations lead in an AI-driven world, Galent provides cutting-edge platforms and strategies for digital transformation. Learn more at www.galent.com.

Read the full story Here

Also Featured on

ANI News Press Trust of India Business Standard The Print Google News The CEO Magazine

Missed the Event?

GCC leaders can still be part of the AI conversation. Visit www.fourthwards.comto explore how AI can unlock new opportunities for your enterprise.