GCCs in India employ nearly 24,000 veterans

Bengaluru/Hyderabad: Armed forces personnel are making significant strides in the corporate world, particularly in global capability centres (GCCs). These veterans bring a unique combination of discipline, strategic thinking, and the ability to excel under pressure, making them valuable assets to companies.
Madan Kumar Subramanian, a former flight lieutenant in the Indian Air Force, transitioned to the corporate world after completing his postgraduate management studies at IIM-Calcutta.He now works as a director of software development at Fiserv, a global fintech and payments company, where he leads a team of programmers working on peer-to-peer finance products.

Kumar belongs to a growing tribe of veterans who are making a mark in the corporate world, not just restricting themselves to roles in HR or facilities management.
According to Devashish Sharma, CEO of recruitment firm Taggd, the number of veterans hired across GCCs has increased to 24,000 in the 2023-24 financial year from 10,000 a decade ago. Staffing firm Xpheno said mid to large-sized GCCs in the banking, retail, and telecom sectors have been hiring veterans in specific areas. “GCCs are moving up the value chain in the coming years and will be hiring veterans for larger and higher functional roles,” Kedar Pathak, a GCC specialist at Xpheno, said.
Several companies have established dedicated programmes to recruit veterans. Deepti Varma, vice president of HR, people experience, and technology at Amazon Stores India and emerging markets, said it hires veterans for roles in corporate, transportation, customer fulfillment, facilities management, HR, and security operations. Amazon, for instance, has in place a veterans’ programme launched in 2019 to tap into the talent pool within the armed forces to explore a second innings in the corporate world. It has partnered with the offices of the Director General of Resettlement (DGR), the Indian Naval Placement Agency (INPA), Indian Air Force Placement Agency (IAFPA), Army Welfare Placement Organisation (AWPO), and more recently the Indian Coast Guard, to hire veterans.
Two years back, the e-commerce behemoth launched a dedicated Indian military talent pool page for military veterans and transitioning services personnel.
Wells Fargo, AT&T, Allstate India, Carelon Global Solutions, and Deutsche Bank have also hired veterans in various positions, including director-level roles. Wells Fargo has hired over 100 military personnel in the last few years. Management institutes like the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) and the Indian School of Business (ISB) have seen an increased demand for their armed forces programmes. Prof. Rajat Sharma, faculty of marketing and coordinator of the armed forces programme at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), said it offers a 6-month course with a batch strength of 50-60 students. “We are seeing increased demand for the course from armed forces personnel in their 30s, from the short service commission, 40s, and even 50s. We are planning to launch a second such programme in October due to higher demand,” Sharma said. He said while most focus on electives such as general administration, human resources, hospital administration, some are also opting for electives including those in tech tracks like AI and digital.
At the Indian School of Business (ISB), armed forces personnel are enrolling across all its postgraduate programmes, the one-year PGP as well as PGP-Max and PGP-Pro, an executive MBA offered in a weekend format. “I would say about 5% of the students are from the armed forces,” said prof. Ramabhadran Thirumalai, deputy dean of ISB. Last year, ISB rolled out an armed forces scholarship in collaboration with the department of ex-servicemen welfare and the defense ministry, offering a 50% tuition fee waiver to armed forces veterans or serving personnel looking to transition into civilian life.
Naval commander Vishal Yadavalli and Aditi Sharma, a former deputy commandant in the Indian Coast Guard, are both pursuing PGP programmes at ISB to enhance their knowledge and build a strong foundation in the business world. “My experience in frugal product design, programme and project management, strategy formulation, and handling global supply chains positions me well for roles in operations and technology management. However, to achieve my goals, I need to enhance my knowledge of finance, marketing, and corporate strategy,” Yadavalli said. As GCCs continue to move up the value chain, the demand for veterans in larger and higher functional roles is expected to increase. The unique skill set and experience that veterans bring to the table make them valuable assets to companies looking to scale up their operations and excel in the competitive business landscape.
Sharma, who was a deputy commandant in the Indian Coast Guard and is pursuing a PGP programme at ISB, said, “Being a military veteran has its own set of challenges. Post-retirement, a veteran not only starts a career from scratch, but also leaves the professional community behind. I wanted to set a strong foundation in the business world and build a wide network of peers for myself.”