Global Business Services (GBS): Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Global Business Services (GBS) is about bringing common business functions from different countries into one integrated global operating model.

For example, a multinational company operating in 20 countries may have separate teams managing finance, HR, procurement, IT and customer support in each country.

Instead of duplicating these functions across geographies, the company can consolidate suitable activities into shared global teams.

The objective is not just cost reduction. It is efficiency, standardisation, automation and better global control.

Explain the difference between GCC, Shared Services and GBS

Concept	Simple Explanation
Shared Services	Consolidating similar activities across business units or countries into a common service organisation.
GCC (Global Capability Centre)	A company-owned or controlled centre delivering technology, business operations, innovation or other capabilities for the global organisation.
GBS (Global Business Services)	An integrated operating model bringing multiple business functions together under common governance, processes, technology and performance metrics.

An India GCC can become the delivery engine for a company’s global GBS strategy.

GBS does not necessarily require a single physical centre or location.

Examples

Suppose the company operates in the US, Germany, UK, Japan and India.

Today, every country may have its own support functions.

Function	Current Model	GBS Model
Finance	Accounting teams in 10 countries	Global finance operations hub
HR	Separate payroll and HR administration	Global HR shared services
IT	Local IT support teams	Centralised IT service desk and engineering
Procurement	Independent country procurement teams	Global sourcing and procurement operations
Data & Analytics	Fragmented reporting	Global analytics and AI centre
Customer Operations	Country-specific support	Regional or global service delivery

“Instead of every country reinventing the wheel, you create a global engine that supports everyone.”

Why India is an ideal location

India offers more than labour-cost advantages.

Talent: Large talent pool across technology, finance, analytics, HR and business operations.
Scale: Ability to build teams ranging from 20 to several thousand professionals.
Technology: Strong AI, automation, cloud and engineering capabilities.
Global delivery: Ability to support multiple countries and time zones.
Innovation: Opportunity to transform processes instead of simply transferring existing work.

The most important message:

India should not be viewed merely as a low-cost delivery location. It can become the company’s global centre for operational excellence and innovation.

The opportunity for your India organisation

Your India organisation can evolve from serving the Indian market to becoming a strategic global hub for the entire company.

For example:

Stage 1 — India Operations

The India team supports local sales, customers, operations and business functions.

Stage 2 — Regional Shared Services

India starts supporting selected activities for other countries, such as finance, HR, IT or analytics.

Stage 3 — Global Business Services

India takes responsibility for defined global processes, supported by shared systems, governance and service-level agreements.

Stage 4 — Global Centre of Excellence

India becomes responsible for AI, automation, data analytics, process transformation and innovation across the global enterprise.

This creates an opportunity for the India center and leadership to take on a much larger global mandate.

How Sansovi GCC can help

Position Sansovi as a partner that can help the company design, establish and scale its global services operations.

Area	Sansovi GCC Support
GBS Opportunity Assessment	Identify functions and processes suitable for global delivery from India.
Operating Model	Design governance, service delivery and organisational structure.
Talent	Build teams across technology and business functions.
Infrastructure	Managed offices and scalable GCC workspaces.
HR and Business Operations	Payroll, compliance, HR administration and operational support.
Technology and AI	Automation, AI solutions and digital transformation through GoodWorks Group capabilities.
Scaling	Support expansion from an initial team to a larger global operations hub.

You don’t need to build the entire GBS organisation on day one. We can identify two or three functions, establish a pilot, demonstrate value and then scale.

Let’s answer these five questions

These questions can help turn the discussion into a strategic plan for your India GBS/GCC.

1. How many countries does your company operate in, and how are common business functions currently managed across them?

When a company operates across 20 or 30 countries, it often ends up duplicating several functions, including finance, HR, procurement, IT, analytics and more.

2. Are finance, HR, IT and procurement functions managed independently by each country, or is there already some centralisation?

Global Business Services is about identifying these common functions and bringing them under a unified global operating model.

3. Does your global leadership have an initiative to improve operational efficiency, reduce duplication or accelerate AI adoption?

India is uniquely positioned to become the delivery and innovation hub for many of these services.

4. Could India take ownership of selected global processes rather than supporting only the domestic business?

Your India organisation can evolve beyond serving the Indian market. It can become a strategic Global Capability Centre supporting your operations worldwide.

5. Would it be useful to conduct a GBS opportunity assessment and identify the first few functions that could be delivered from India?

This doesn’t have to happen overnight. We can start with a few functions, demonstrate efficiency and business value, and gradually expand.

“At Sansovi GCC, we help global companies establish and scale these capabilities in India, covering talent, technology, infrastructure and business operations.”

Vishwas Mudagal

CEO, Sansovi GCC by GoodWorks Group