HFS PODCASTS

HFS

HFS PODCASTS extract a real and unfiltered view of business operations and the world today and in the future. Watch or listen now, in order to be updated with the latest insights from senior HFS analysts and enterprise leaders.

  1. 3d ago

    HFS GCC Advantage | How Esko is building AI, cloud, and product ownership from India

    What happens when a GCC moves beyond providing engineering capacity and starts owning the products, platforms, and capabilities that shape the company's future? In this episode of the HFS GCC Advantage Videocast, Achyuta Ghosh of HFS Research speaks with Vivek Kadal of Esko about the evolution of Esko's India GCC and its growing role in the company's global R&D, product engineering, and innovation agenda. With more than half of Esko's global R&D strength now based in India, the ambition is shifting from how much work India can deliver to what India can own. Vivek explains how Esko is building deeper capabilities across cloud engineering, AI, platform architecture, and product engineering while combining them with the specialized domain expertise required in the packaging industry. What you'll hear: Why Esko is evolving its India GCC from a capacity and execution center to a capability and ownership center How Esko is building a connected, multi-tenant, AI-enabled packaging cloud spanning the source-to-shelf journey The role of AI, knowledge graphs, APIs, digital threads, and agentic workflows in the future of packaging technology How Esko is strengthening India's capabilities in cloud-native engineering, AI, machine learning, DevOps, cybersecurity, platform architecture, and product engineering Why bringing engineering, customer support, and cloud operations together creates a stronger customer learning loop and helps turn customer feedback into product intelligence Why the next measure of GCC success will be business outcomes and global ownership, rather than headcount or the amount of work transferred to IndiaLooking ahead, Vivek describes an India GCC taking end-to-end ownership across product architecture, engineering, operations, and customer outcomes, with the ability to accelerate strategic product launches, build platform capabilities for global customers, and create IP and expertise that strengthens Esko's competitive advantage. To know more about HFS on Global Capability Centers (GCCs), visit us here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/global-capability-centers-gccs/ We recently launched our GCC Pulse Report, "Ownership is the next imperative for India's GCCs to become generative enterprises." Read more here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/indias-gcc-pulse-index/

  2. Sep 29

    Unfiltered Stories | HFS & EY: The future of agentic services

    In this episode of HFS Unfiltered, David Cushman speaks with EY's Dan Diasio and Thiru Vengadam about what it takes to move from AI experimentation to enterprise-scale agentic operations. Drawing on EY’s recognition as a Horizon 3 Market Leader in the HFS Horizons Agentic Services 2026 report, they discussed why the biggest barriers to AI adoption are no longer technology, but business transformation, governance, operating models, and workforce readiness. The conversation explores how organizations can move beyond proof-of-concept projects by embedding AI into core business operations, building trusted agentic systems with strong governance, and adopting outcome-based partnerships. They also discuss the evolution of Services-as-Software™, where AI-enabled services are creating new business value by combining software, human expertise, and continuous innovation. Key takeaways AI success is a business transformation challenge, not just a technology one.Scaling AI requires rethinking operating models, processes, data, governance, and talent.Agentic AI must be built on trust. Governance, security, auditability, and human oversight are essential for deploying enterprise-scale AI systems.Partnerships are evolving. Organizations need deeper co-development and outcome-based collaborations rather than traditional vendor relationships.Services-as-Software™ is reshaping enterprise services. AI enables organizations to combine software with human expertise to deliver new, higher-value outcomes.The future belongs to enterprises that embed AI into operations, not just experiments.Sustainable value comes from integrating AI into the way work is designed and delivered. Learn more about the 2026 HFS Horizons: Agentic Services report, which assesses how effectively 36 service providers help enterprise clients adopt agentic AI and realize value across three distinct Horizons, here. #AgenticAI #AgenticServices #EnterpriseAI #ServicesAsSoftware #AIOperatingModel #EY #HFSResearch #AIGovernance #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfWork

  3. Sep 21

    HFS GCC Advantage | How Mastercard scales AI and trust through its India GCC

    In this episode of HFS GCC Advantage, Rajeev Gangal, Senior Vice President, R&D Engineering at Mastercard, shares how the company is using its India center in Pune as a strategic innovation hub for AI, product development, and emerging technologies. The conversation explores how Mastercard measures AI impact through tangible business outcomes, accelerates product development across the full lifecycle, and builds trust in next-generation payment experiences. Rajeev also discusses the role of external collaboration, startup partnerships, and GCC culture in driving innovation at scale. What you’ll hear How Mastercard’s Pune hub supports global R&D and innovationWhy AI is being applied across the full product development lifecycle, not just software deliveryHow Mastercard measures AI value through business outcomes, customer satisfaction, and speed to productionWhy fraud detection, dispute resolution, and digital identity are important AI use casesHow Mastercard balances innovation with trust, reliability, and securityWhy dedicated R&D enables “zero to one” innovationHow the company works with startups, universities, and external partnersWhat GCC leaders can learn about building a culture of innovation beyond deliveryHow agentic commerce and secure digital experiences may shape the next phase of payments Key takeaways AI creates the most value when tied to measurable business outcomesGCCs can drive strategic innovation, not just operational executionTrust, security, and speed must advance together in financial servicesDedicated R&D teams help move ideas from concept to production fasterExternal partnerships can strengthen internal innovation enginesThe future of payments will be shaped by agentic commerce and digital identity To know more about HFS on Global Capability Centers (GCCs), visit us here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/global-capability-centers-gccs/ We recently launched our GCC Pulse Report, "Ownership is the next imperative for India's GCCs to become generative enterprises." Read more here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/indias-gcc-pulse-index/

  4. Sep 18

    Unfiltered Stories | HFS & HCLTech: You can't monetize AI without domain ontologies

    In this episode of HFS Unfiltered, HFS’ Ashish Chaturvedi and Hridika Biswas are joined by Nagaraj Sastry, SVP and Global Head of Data and AI for Digital Business Services at HCLTech, to explore a critical enterprise AI paradox: organizations are gaining faster insights and efficiencies from data and AI, but only a small percentage are translating those investments into new revenue and meaningful transformation. The conversation explores why infrastructure-led modernization alone isn’t enough and how strong data governance, domain ontologies, contextualized intelligence, agentic AI, and operating model redesign can help enterprises move from AI experimentation to measurable business value. Nagaraj also shares how HCLTech is approaching this shift through its data and AI capabilities and industry-specific solutions. What you’ll hear: Why faster insights aren’t necessarily translating into new revenue How domain ontologies and trusted data foundations can unlock AI value Why process and operating model redesign are essential for scaling agentic AI What separates enterprises monetizing AI from those still treating it primarily as infrastructure Learn more about the 2026 HFS Horizons: Data Modernization and AI report, which evaluates 40 service providers across the data modernization and AI value chain, here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/hfs-horizons-data-modernization-and-ai-2026 #DataModernization #EnterpriseAI #AgenticAI #DataGovernance #DomainOntology #AIMonetization #HCLTech #HFSResearch #DataAndAI #DigitalTransformation

  5. Sep 17

    HFS GCC Advantage | FIS: Leading AI transformation and rebuilding the GCC workforce

    In this episode of HFS GCC Advantage, Ramkumar Narayanan, EVP, Enterprise AI and Data Platforms, and Head of FIS India and the Philippines, shares how FIS is turning its GCC into a strategic engine for AI, platform innovation, and business growth. The conversation explores how a mature GCC can move beyond execution to ownership, create enterprise value, and help shape the future of work in a regulated financial services environment. Ramkumar also explains why AI transformation and workforce resilience must advance together, and how India and the Philippines centers are becoming central to FIS’s long-term growth strategy. What you’ll hear: How FIS serves the banking, payments, and capital markets ecosystemWhy India and the Philippines are strategic GCC centers for FISHow the organization is shifting from application-centric work to platform-centric AIWhy reusable AI foundations help reduce rework and duplicationHow governance is being embedded into code for scale and complianceWhy AI investments must begin with real business problemsHow GCCs can move from execution to enterprise outcome ownershipWhy workforce resilience must advance alongside AI transformationHow GCCs can unlock workflow intelligence to support AI redesignWhat leaders should do to stay aligned with the shifting company strategyKey takeaways: GCCs create more value when they own outcomes, not just tasksPlatform-first AI is more scalable than one-off experimentsGovernance built into code helps regulated enterprises move faster with confidenceAI transformation and workforce transformation must happen togetherGCCs hold unique workflow knowledge that can shape enterprise AIMature GCCs should align closely with the CEO and company priorities To know more about HFS on Global Capability Centers (GCCs), visit us here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/global-capability-centers-gccs/ We recently launched our GCC Pulse Report, “Ownership is the next imperative for India’s GCCs to become generative enterprises.” Read more here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/indias-gcc-pulse-index/

  6. Sep 15

    HFS GCC Advantage | Building a GCC that connects data, business, and outcomes

    Join Achyuta Ghosh and Dr. Rajesh Puneyani, Vice President and Site Leader at Kenvue Solutions, for a sharp conversation on how GCCs are evolving from delivery hubs into connected enterprise engines. Rajesh shares how Kenvue built its India center with business impact at the core, why data became the first major capability, and how the team is using technology to improve on-shelf availability, recover lost sales, and support growth across the enterprise. What you'll hear: Why Kenvue GCC was designed from day one as a digital-first, data-driven, business-tech partner rather than a cost center.How the India center helps connect consumers, brands, supply chain, data, and technology to drive real enterprise outcomes. Key takeaways: Why is data the foundation for creating connected enterprise outcomes, especially in a consumer healthcare business with a deep product legacy.How Kenvue used data and technology to build an on-shelf availability solution that helps recover lost sales and improve market performance.Why the next phase of GCC value will come from leadership upskilling in data and AI, not just from adopting tools.How business problems and technology solutions need to be married closely to avoid building in the wrong direction.Why forward-deployed engineers and business proximity will matter more as GCCs become more outcome-led.What separates operational hubs from true growth engines: proactiveness, solution thinking, and the ability to identify problems before headquarters does.Why the most successful GCCs will combine operational excellence with the confidence to shape the enterprise roadmap. To know more about HFS on Global Capability Centers (GCCs), visit us here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/global-capability-centers-gccs/ We recently launched our GCC Pulse Report, "Ownership is the next imperative for India's GCCs to become generative enterprises." Read more here: https://www.hfsresearch.com/research/indias-gcc-pulse-index/

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HFS PODCASTS extract a real and unfiltered view of business operations and the world today and in the future. Watch or listen now, in order to be updated with the latest insights from senior HFS analysts and enterprise leaders.

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