By Ghosh, we hired Achyuta!

We’re thrilled to welcome Achyuta Ghosh to HFS as our new Executive Research Leader for GCCs and BPO, based in Delhi.

Achyuta joins us from Nasscom, where he made his name building its research practice from the ground up and shaping industry perspectives on AI, cloud, SaaS, GCCs, and the Future of Work. We have enjoyed working with Achyuta over the years as a research partner, so this is a great natural progression in his analyst career. Achyuta brings 23+ years of experience having worked at WNS, Genpact, Ford Motor Company, and Frost & Sullivan in his earlier career.

Am personally excited for Achyuta to bring his expertise, energy, and personality to the HFS community.  So let’s hear from him directly about his new career with HFS and what to expect from him donning purple…

What excites you most about joining HFS at this point in your career?

Honestly, what excites me about joining HFS right now is the chance to dive straight into what is transforming technology and business. I’ve experienced this industry from multiple lenses as a practitioner, a catalyst, and an analyst, and right now, the speed and scale of change are truly staggering. Companies will not make small adjustments; they will need to tear down old models, turn services into software, and move beyond the typical “digital transformation” mantra.

It’s a full-blown business reinvention, and HFS is right at the center of all this. What really attracts me is their mix of independent thinking, deep expertise, and, frankly, a willingness to work hand in hand with their clients.

The HFS team isn’t just writing reports from the sidelines. They collaborate directly with enterprises through workshops, events, and roundtables to turn insights into real results. That’s exactly the kind of impact I want to make. In a landscape packed with vendor-driven rankings and buzzwords, HFS keeps it real. They’ve built a reputation for being direct and honest, which matches how I want to approach my work.

HFS covers many areas for its size, but at its heart, it’s a startup that moves fast into futuristic themes, such as leading the services-as-software narrative. That blend of expertise and openness to what’s next is the environment where I know I can contribute and keep growing.

You’ve spent years tracking GCCs and BPO. What shifts are you seeing that leaders should pay attention to right now?

The game has changed for GCCs and BPOs. Leading GCCs are stepping up as centers for digital, analytics, and AI, playing a direct role in enterprise strategy and even feeding into local innovation ecosystems. The top performers now have more autonomy and are much more tightly integrated into the business.

It’s the same story with BPOs. They’ve shifted from executing tasks to actually owning outcomes, ramping up automation, and building specialized platforms for micro verticals. The focus is on reskilling talent, making compliance a priority, and doubling down on trust and sustainability.

For leaders, this means it’s time to rethink how they invest in and manage GCCs and orchestrate talent, tech, and partner strategy. The old lines between in-house and outsourced are fading, so it’s crucial to understand what stays internal versus what goes outside while finding new ways to collaborate. And this is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. Each organization will need to do it in a way that works best for them. Automation and AI are rewriting the rulebook on service delivery and business models, which means new governance, new metrics, and a sharper focus on business value.

Let’s not forget: keeping teams motivated, reskilling and upskilling them, and building a strong culture is more important than ever, especially in these hybrid, distributed setups. Embedding sustainability and ecosystem partnerships into long-term strategy is quickly moving from “nice to have” to “must-have.”

Where do you see the most significant opportunities for GCCs and BPO firms in the AI era?

The reality is that everyone talks about moving up the value chain, but less than 10% of GCCs have actually made the leap to become true transformation hubs. That’s the opportunity: to close the gap between possibilities and reality.

AI is the game-changer. It lets GCCs and BPOs redesign service delivery. Embedding generative AI and automation opens the door to scale up high-value domains like risk, compliance, customer insights, and product design so that you are helping shape and grow business.

The big opportunity is to step up as strategic partners, driving AI initiatives, scaling innovation, and connecting the dots across platforms, providers, and talent. That’s how GCCs and BPOs can help clients navigate disruption, unlock new growth, and lead in this AI-driven era.

How do you plan to shape HFS’s research agenda in this space?

First, a disclaimer: The research focus will flex and shift as we learn more about customer needs, but our main goal will always be to help enterprises get the most out of their GCC and GBS strategies.

While GCCs have scaled up quickly in the past few years, I believe there is tremendous headroom for further sector growth. With the landscape changing fast (talent pools shifting, costs fluctuating, ecosystems evolving), the old playbooks no longer cut it. The global location strategy, talent demand, and modernizing service delivery models become crucial to transform GCCs into genuine value creators. And for enterprises, that presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The goalposts have shifted. Saving money or being more efficient is hygiene, while driving innovation, building IP, and taking on productization is in focus.

AI is at the top of my mind, too. Everyone knows AI will fundamentally change how business runs, but there’s a big gap between experimenting and scaling AI-first operations. A small share of GCCs are actually AI-centric. The challenge now is figuring out how to implement models like services-as-software, generative AI, or even emerging approaches like vibe coding in a way that truly changes delivery. And, just as importantly, leaders need to assess readiness, build robust governance, and ensure AI is used responsibly across the organization.

Finally, there’s the matter of value and partnerships. Enterprises need clear ways to measure what they expect from their GCCs and compare it to the delivered value. With the line between what GCCs and service providers deliver getting fuzzier, companies have to find smarter ways to structure partnerships so both sides complement each other for optimum impact.

What unique perspective do you think you bring to analyzing this industry?

I have mentioned this earlier. Here’s what sets me apart: I’ve seen this industry from all sides: analyst, practitioner, and catalyst.

As an analyst, my years of tracking shifts in tech at an industry level mean I know how to connect what’s happening on the ground to the big-picture strategy. As a practitioner, I’ve actually built analytics products and built tech-centric businesses. So, I will want to look at what’s practical versus what’s just hype. As a catalyst, my time working with a tech trade body means I get to know how ecosystems work: talent, innovation, stakeholder management, and partnerships. That mindset is what can help GCCs truly scale their impact.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career so far, and why?

Honestly, it’s been a mix of great mentors at every stage. Early on in my analyst career, I learned the importance of execution and discipline. Later, I was pushed to think bigger and look at the long-term impact. I’ve picked up lessons from experienced clients at WNS and Genpact, sharp analysts at Frost & Sullivan, global leaders at Ford Motor Company, and some of the top minds at Nasscom (both internal and external member organizations).

Frost & Sullivan leaders drilled real research discipline into me. My clients showed me the value of looking at problems from every angle. At Ford, my role focused on fostering an entrepreneurial mindset. And Indian tech services industry leaders at Nasscom helped me develop the ability to anticipate trends and explain what’s coming next. Put all that together, and I like to move fast, focus on asking questions, backing up insights with evidence, and never losing sight of stakeholder needs.

Outside of research, what keeps you busy or inspired? Any hobbies, passions, or quirks the HFS community should know about?

I’m an avid reader, especially when it comes to war history. Strategy, leadership under pressure, the cost of decisions, and resilience are lessons that apply just as much in business. I’m also a diehard car and motorcycle enthusiast, and I have travelled around the country. There’s nothing like a long road trip to remind you that detours often lead to the best discoveries.

Outside of that, I’m always up for trying new food. I’ve run a movie review page in the past, and cricket’s been a passion of mine for years.

Fun fact: I tend to connect with dogs faster than with most people.

And finally, if you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Three words? Curious, resilient, analytical.

Curious because, honestly, I never stop asking questions. Whether it’s diving into new markets or figuring out what makes a team tick, I’m always looking for the “why” behind things.

Resilience has shaped my career, from navigating industry disruptions to managing personal setbacks. It has also made me more adaptable, helping me persist through uncertainty and stay optimistic about the future.

Analytical, absolutely. I love connecting the dots, spotting patterns, and building a story out of the numbers.