It started with a satellite dish arriving on a bullock cart.

Back in 1985, that scene outside Texas Instruments’ new Bengaluru office quietly marked the birth of India’s first multinational R&D centre and opened the doors for hundreds more to follow.

They were all looking for a slice of India’s vast, educated, English speaking, and most importantly, affordable, talent pool.

GE. CitiGroup. JP Morgan. Motorola.

Just like that, India’s back office revolution began. These centres weren’t the sleek innovation hubs we know today. Not yet. They were built for efficiency, process, and most importantly, output. Imagine rows of cubicles, long hours and precise deliverables.

Four decades later, those once-humble “back offices” employ millions and look nothing like they used to. Today, there are nearly 2,000 GCCs across India. They employ over 2 million professionals and generate more than $40 billion in annual revenue. The kind of work they do has also completely transformed.

Few things capture that shift as vividly as the physical workplaces they now inhabit.

Think yoga studios, digital twins of storefronts, and world-class design. In the latest episode of 90,000 Hours, we explore how India’s GCC workplaces tell the story of their post-Covid glow-up.

Tune in.

Have thoughts about this episode? Write to Rahel ([email protected])

Credits:
Written and produced by Rahel Philipose
Edited by Rajiv CN