Wayfair, the US-based home decor and furniture e-commerce giant, has demonstrated how a strategic approach to talent and technology can turn a newly established Global Capability Center (GCC) into a mission-critical business arm—in just two years.
Founded in April 2023, Wayfair’s India GCC in Bengaluru has already emerged as a powerhouse in driving product development, UX design, data science, cataloging, and even supply chain engineering for the company’s global operations.
Founded in April 2023, Wayfair’s India GCC in Bengaluru has already emerged as a powerhouse in driving product development, UX design, data science, cataloging, and even supply chain engineering for the company’s global operations.
How Wayfair Got It Right, Fast
Unlike many global firms that enter India with a traditional “top-down” structure, Wayfair flipped the script. Instead of mass-hiring junior engineers first, they began with a senior-first hiring model—onboarding over a dozen experienced engineers to build a solid leadership core before scaling operations.
“We wanted to leapfrog the learning curve and become a microcosm of Wayfair,”
– Rohit Kaila, Head of Technology & Site Leader, Wayfair India TDC
“We wanted to leapfrog the learning curve and become a microcosm of Wayfair,”
– Rohit Kaila, Head of Technology & Site Leader, Wayfair India TDC
A Deep-Tech Culture from Day One
Wayfair didn’t silo its Indian team to support functions. From day one, the India GCC was entrusted with core tech projects, reflecting the company’s belief in decentralizing innovation. This includes:
- Building a supply chain platform
- Running cataloging and communication functions
- Actively contributing to evolving technology roadmaps
India is not just a back office; it’s an engineering brain in Wayfair’s global structure.
India: Not Just Cost-Effective—Strategic
Wayfair’s India entry followed the footsteps of retail titans like Walmart, Lowe’s, Amazon, and Target, who’ve set up large-scale GCCs to tap into the country’s rich engineering talent pool.
“We are reasonably independent in terms of functioning and report directly to global leadership.” — Kaila
With the India GCC now making up over 25% of the company’s global tech team, the Bengaluru unit has become integral to business continuity and digital acceleration.
“We are reasonably independent in terms of functioning and report directly to global leadership.” — Kaila
With the India GCC now making up over 25% of the company’s global tech team, the Bengaluru unit has become integral to business continuity and digital acceleration.
AI, GenAI & Developer Empowerment
One of Wayfair’s tech priorities is AI and Generative AI (GenAI). The India team is at the forefront of these initiatives, empowered with modern development tools like code generators and encouraged to stay updated with the latest AI trends.
“There’s no dearth of AI talent in India,” says Kaila, noting the high awareness among young developers.
“There’s no dearth of AI talent in India,” says Kaila, noting the high awareness among young developers.
GCC Maturity in Record Time
What takes many GCCs 4–5 years to achieve, Wayfair India accomplished in just two years . This success is attributed to:
- A startup-like culture within a corporate structure
- Autonomy and full-stack ownership
- A focus on developer productivity over headcount growth
As the GCC market in India is expected to reach $105B by 2030 (from $64.6B in 2024 per NASSCOM-Zinnov), Wayfair stands as a blueprint for fast-tracked GCC maturity.
Wayfair India isn’t just executing. It’s innovating, leading, and redefining what modern GCCs can achieve.
Visit Our News section and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter
