Fit check

Is a micro GCC right for us?

A micro GCC is a wholly controlled, directly governed offshore team of roughly five to twenty-five professionals, working under the owning company's own brand, management structure and quality standards, usually in an established Indian city. It is not outsourcing, and it is not body shopping.

When it makes sense

• There is work the company needs done continuously, at scale or needing deep expertise, that it cannot do as well or as efficiently at home.
• The volume justifies a dedicated team, and the skills are available in India.
• The company wants to own and build capability, and can govern a team at that level of autonomy.

When it does not

• The work can be done at head office at comparable cost.
• The volume does not justify the fixed costs of a standalone team.
• The expertise is so specialised that no talent pool outside the home market can supply it.
• The goal is only a quick cost cut, with no plan to build ownership.

Three things to have in mind before we talk

• Team size. How many people the work needs, and whether the volume justifies a dedicated team. The book's working reference is eight to twelve professionals in the same functional area.
• Kind of work. What the team would do, and whether it is continuous work rather than a one-off.
• What you have tried. Head-office delivery, agencies or an existing offshore team, and what stopped each from working.

Where to go next

• What a micro GCC is, and how it differs from outsourcing
• What the numbers say against agency staff
• How a micro GCC is set up in seven days
• Build, fix or walk away: deciding what to do with a GCC

Sources. The Micro-GCC Advantage by Anupam Shrivastav (2026); the figures and definitions are the book's. As of. Published 31 October 2026; this page restates the article What is a micro GCC. If a figure changes, the article is corrected and the change is noted there.