How the Right Workplace Strategy Powers GCCs Across APAC and the Middle East

In boardrooms from New York to Tokyo, one question keeps surfacing: how do we build capability at scale without losing speed or innovation? Increasingly, the answer lies in Global Capability Centers (GCCs), and nowhere are they thriving more than in the APAC and Middle East regions. Once seen merely as offshore cost-saving engines, today's GCCs are evolving into strategic hubs of innovation, talent development, and operational excellence.

But building a GCC that delivers real impact is about creating the right environment where people, place, and technology work in unison. Let’s explore why a workplace strategy isn’t just an afterthought, but the backbone of a successful GCC. We'll also show how a holistic workplace transformation strategy can transform your GCC from a back-office operation into a competitive advantage that powers global business outcomes.

The GCC Landscape in APAC and the Middle East

APAC and the Middle East have quickly become the powerhouses of the GCC revolution, with India, Singapore, the Philippines, and the UAE leading the charge. Each market brings its own edge: India’s deep engineering and tech talent pool, Singapore’s strategic position as a regional HQ, the Philippines’ unmatched service delivery expertise, and the UAE’s world-class infrastructure and tax incentives. 

Together, they offer organizations a rare combination of scale, efficiency, and access to future-ready skills. No surprise, then, that global leaders are choosing these hubs not just for cost savings, but also for the opportunity to tap into innovation ecosystems that accelerate growth. However, expectations have shifted dramatically. Today’s GCC leaders are tasked with driving agility, innovation, and customer proximity at a global level. That’s where the right workplace strategy and collaborative workplace designs become the game-changer.

It’s not enough to fill a building with desks. Success depends on crafting spaces that empower diverse teams, embed digital tools, and reflect cultural context. Organizations that invest in a thoughtful workplace transformation strategy are the ones that can turn their GCCs into magnets for top talent and engines of global competitiveness.

Beyond Cost-Saving: Why Workplace Strategy Matters

The world’s most successful GCCs don’t measure success solely by cost savings. Instead, they measure it by the value they create. That value comes when people, place, and technology work together in harmony. Imagine a workplace where the physical design inspires collaboration, the technology enables seamless hybrid interactions, and the culture encourages experimentation.

For Gen Z and millennial talent, such environments are the bare minimum expectations. Thoughtful workplace design ideas signal that the organization values creativity and well-being, which directly translates into higher attraction and retention rates. In competitive markets like India or the UAE, this edge is non-negotiable. Legato Health Technologies, now Carelon Global Solutions, understood this reality when they faced a post-pandemic challenge. They had to re-energize employees, draw them back to the office, and make the workplace a magnet for top talent. 

Partnering with Space Matrix, they reframed their office as a strategic enabler of community and performance. The design philosophy leveraged natural materials, season-inspired themes, and inclusive layouts to create an environment that felt safe and inspiring. Varied work settings and embedding modular spaces with collaboration technology helped the workplace transform into an ecosystem where people could thrive. 

The results spoke volumes. A 4X surge in alternate work points, a threefold increase in collaboration and community spaces, and a 60% boost in peak-hour occupancy. Legato’s transformation also showcases how a well-executed strategy promotes operational efficiency by minimizing friction across geographies, functions, and time zones. Teams move faster when workplaces are intuitive and when digital tools are woven seamlessly into workflows.

Designing for Talent: Spaces That Inspire and Retain

In markets like India, Singapore, the Philippines, and the UAE, GCCs are locked in a fierce battle for top digital and engineering talent. Salary isn’t the only differentiator anymore. Space has also become a silent recruiter. The most forward-thinking organizations are moving beyond cookie-cutter layouts to craft environments that balance zones for deep focus, hubs for collaboration, and labs for experimentation.

When done well, this balance improves day-to-day performance and signals to employees that they are part of a culture built for innovation, not just output. That’s why workplace design has evolved into a core component of talent strategy, not an afterthought. HNI’s Global Business Service Centre in Pune is a striking example of this shift. Faced with the challenge of building more than just an office, HNI needed a space that could attract high-caliber talent and drive enterprise-wide transformation.

In partnership with Space Matrix, they approached the project not as an interior design project, but as a workplace strategy. The result is a space that functions simultaneously as a studio, a lab, and a cultural stage. From the Grey Armani marble threshold and its striking Exploded Chair installation to the visible innovation hubs like the Material Library and Product Testing Lab, every design move communicates purpose.

Enabling Agility and Innovation Through Place + Technology

Agility is a matter of survival rather than a buzzword for GCCs in the APAC and Middle East regions. With hybrid work models now the norm, the workplace has to operate as both a physical anchor and a digital bridge. Smart workplace solutions, like intelligent meeting systems and sensor-driven occupancy tools, are no longer “nice-to-haves.” They are essential to keeping global teams aligned and productive across time zones.

Add to this the need for scalability, and it becomes clear that GCCs require spaces designed for change, not permanence. A future-ready workplace strategy incorporates this adaptability into every layer, ensuring that infrastructure can evolve as quickly as business demands. When Money Forward, the Japanese fintech disruptor, set up its GCC in Chennai, it quickly realized that its functional office wasn't enough. It delivered space but not spirit.

To truly compete for elite tech talent and accelerate product cycles, they needed more than the best office interior designs. They also required a workplace transformation strategy. Partnering with Space Matrix, they reimagined the office as a value centre where innovation wasn’t just spoken about but lived daily. Open, high-energy zones facilitate fast-paced ideation, while quiet focus areas provide engineers with the headspace for in-depth problem-solving. The environment echoes how innovation naturally unfolds in bursts of collaboration and moments of concentration.

Every design choice reinforces agility and cultural resonance. Modular layouts and smart lighting systems give the office the flexibility to expand as teams grow. Sustainable materials and raw timber, combined with vibrant accents, embody Money Forward’s identity, rooted in Japanese heritage yet boldly future-facing, with local Indian context woven in.

Regional Expertise + Early Engagement = GCC Success

The difference between a GCC that merely operates and one that truly thrives comes down to timing. Success isn’t built after the doors open, but it starts long before. When workplace strategy and thoughtful office design ideas are aligned early in the GCC journey, organizations can avoid costly missteps, anticipate future needs, and design spaces that accelerate performance from day one. Too often, leaders treat design as the final step, when in reality it should be the foundation. The goal should be to move the GCC from being a cost centre to a hub of talent, innovation, and enterprise capability.

What makes this possible is not just design expertise, but deep regional knowledge. Building a GCC in Chennai isn't the same as setting up in Manila or Dubai. Regulations differ, cultural expectations shift, and real estate landscapes can make or break scalability. Space Matrix bridges this complexity by translating business goals and GCC KPIs into people-centric, place-smart, and tech-enabled designs that function effectively in their context. 

Whether it's designing for talent magnetism in India, hybrid readiness in Singapore, or cultural fluency in the UAE, regional nuance is essential in every solution. This is why projects like HNI’s experience-driven hub in Pune, Legato’s wellness-centric transformation in Bangalore, and Money Forward’s innovation-first space in Chennai are so successful. Early engagement allows design to align with business intent, while local expertise ensures seamless execution. 

Turning GCCs from cost centers into hubs of talent, innovation, and growth

GCCs across the APAC and Middle East regions are no longer back-office utilities. They’re the growth engines shaping tomorrow’s enterprises. But their true power is unlocked only when ambition is paired with the right workplace strategy. As we’ve seen, spaces designed with people, place, and technology in mind inspire innovation, accelerate delivery, and attract the kind of talent that promotes transformation.

This is where the Space Matrix stands apart. With deep regional expertise and a proven ability to translate business goals into design, we help organizations turn GCCs into magnets for talent, catalysts for efficiency, and incubators of innovation. Our projects prove that a well-executed workplace transformation strategy can elevate a GCC from functional to formidable.

If you’re planning to establish or scale your GCC, the opportunity is clear. The future belongs to organizations that design for success from the start. Partner with Space Matrix, and let's build workplaces that not only keep pace with change but also set the pace for your industry.