India Chosen for Strategic Talent and Innovation Advantages
According to Stephen Barnham, Group CDO-CIO of Dai-ichi Life Group, the decision to base the GCC in India stems from the country’s strong alignment of technical expertise, government support, and academic excellence. “India is one of the only markets where the talent, the government support, and the academic institutions are all there in the ecosystem,” Barnham stated.
This expansion complements the company’s broader strategic direction of focusing on capital-light, tech-driven, and global initiatives in response to Japan’s demographic challenges and a shrinking life insurance market.
Overseas Push Driven by Domestic Market Pressures
Japan’s ageing population and declining domestic life insurance demand are driving Dai-ichi Life to accelerate its international and digital transformation. The insurer, founded in 1902 and listed in 2010, has since expanded into nine global markets, including:
- The largest life insurer in Australia
- A top 15 insurer in the United States
- A leading foreign player in Vietnam
The India GCC will play a pivotal role in building next-gen digital solutions to support these international operations.
Capgemini Collaboration Eases Cultural Transition
Recognizing the cultural and linguistic hurdles many Japanese firms face while establishing operations in India, Dai-ichi Life has partnered with Capgemini through a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. This partnership is enabling the smooth setup of bilingual and bicultural teams to ensure seamless collaboration between Japan and India.
“Plans are in place to send staff from Japan to India and vice versa as part of a rotation system,” Barnham explained. This cross-border talent exchange aims to develop multilingual, culturally fluent leaders while strengthening organizational cohesion.
Key Areas of GCC Innovation
The expanded India GCC will be central to:
- AI and data analytics innovation
- Cybersecurity advancements
- Platform and customer experience transformation
- Agile operations and co-innovation
Through this tech-first strategy, Dai-ichi Life is building a future-ready GCC that not only supports global operations but also delivers next-level digital customer experiences.
Read more full news: Here
