Hyderabad | 28 January 2026: Global payments pioneer Western Union has taken a significant step in its digital transformation journey by launching a new Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Hyderabad, strengthening India’s position as a strategic hub for capability centres in financial services.

The newly inaugurated centre, built in collaboration with HCL Tech, complements Western Union’s existing Pune technology centre and is designed to drive AI-led innovation, platform engineering and operational excellence for the company’s global payments business.

The Hyderabad GCC will house advanced technology, engineering and operations teams focused on modernising digital systems, supporting next-generation payments infrastructure, and enhancing global digital consumer experiences. The facility is expected to employ around 400 professionals, underscoring Western Union’s commitment to deepening its engineering footprint in India.

The centre was jointly inaugurated by Devin McGranahan, President and CEO of Western Union, and C. Vijayakumar, CEO and Managing Director of HCLTech, alongside other senior leaders from both organisations.

On the occasion, Devin McGranahan described the launch as a strategic milestone in the company’s broader transformation.

“This centre represents an important step in Western Union’s transformation journey and expansion in India. Through our strategic partnership with HCL Tech, we are combining deep engineering expertise with advanced AI capabilities to go beyond payments, accelerate innovation and deliver seamless, secure experiences for millions of customers worldwide.”

Devin McGranahan, President & CEO of Western Union

Complementing this, C. Vijayakumar emphasised on the strength of the partnership.

“This milestone marks a significant step forward in our valued partnership with Western Union. It underscores HCLTech’s strong digital, cloud and AI capabilities in accelerating business and technology transformation for financial services and GCCs. Together, we are focused on delivering measurable outcomes aligned with Western Union’s Beyond strategy, advancing a digital-first business model, expanding consumer services beyond remittances and modernising next-generation payments infrastructure.”

C. Vijayakumar, CEO and Managing Director of HCL Tech

The Hyderabad centre builds on a strategic collaboration between Western Union and HCL Tech that began in 2025, in which the two organisations committed to driving Western Union’s transition to an AI-led platform operating model and expanding its technology footprint globally.

This expansion reflects a broader industry trend: global financial services and technology firms are increasingly choosing India, particularly hubs like Hyderabad and Pune, to anchor capability centres that combine engineering excellence with digital transformation mandates. India’s deep pool of technology talent, competitive cost structures, and strong ecosystem support continue to make it a preferred destination for centres that go far beyond traditional back-office functions.

For Western Union, the Hyderabad GCC is a strategic node in its global transformation, enabling the company to reimagine payments platforms and innovate digital experiences at scale.

Curated by SSF Global to track developments shaping the future of GCCs, enterprise ecosystems, and India’s commercial real estate landscape

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About SSF Global
SSF Global is a Global Community for Enterprise Function Leaders and serves as a research & advisory platform focused on Global Business Services (GBS), Global Capability Centres (GCCs), and the evolution of enterprise innovation in India and beyond. We track, publish, and partner in narratives that shape how capability centres transform into hubs of trust, intelligence, and sustainable growth. We also evaluate, assess and benchmark the GCCs for their performance, maturity and other parameters using our proprietary tools built from the knowledge gained from direct interaction with our members (GCCs & GBS).