Citizens Financial Group's First India GCC In City

The Citizens Financial Group (NYSE: CFG), one of the United States' premier financial institutions, today selected Hyderabad to set up its first Global Capability Centre (GCC) in India.

In a partnership with tech leader Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH), the centre, as per reports, will create 1,000 high-value jobs by March 2026 and become a key driver of the Citizens' digital transformation journey.

It will also serve as a next-generation innovation engine, focused on accelerating Citizens' enterprise tech capabilities, customer experience platforms, data analytics and product innovation.

CIO and Head of Enterprise Technology at Citizens Michael Ruttledge said, "Hyderabad offers a world-class talent pool and a dynamic ecosystem. This GCC will be central to our tech modernization, helping us bring modern banking products to market faster and deliver superior experiences for our customers."

Cognizant SVP and BU Head (BFSI) Nageswar Cherukupalli said that Hyderabad had become the global headquarters for BFSI innovation. "With over 350 GCCs and one new GCC setting up every week, the momentum is real, and Citizens is the latest elite name to join this journey," he added.

The launch event, held in Hyderabad, was graced by Telangana IT and Industries Minister Sridhar Babu, Special Chief Secretary Jayesh Ranjan and IT advisor Sai Krishna, along with senior leaders from Citizens and Cognizant.

Speaking on the occasion, Babu said, "We're not just building infrastructure, we're building the future. Hyderabad's rise is not based on hype but on hard numbers and bold decisions. With Citizens and Cognizant joining forces here, we're moving closer to our goal of making Telangana the first Indian State to contribute $1 trillion to the national GDP. We are transforming Hyderabad into a Global Value Centre - where innovation is born, intellectual property is built, and world-class products are developed."

The minister added that the State's success was rooted in visionary leadership, robust infrastructure, sustainable policies and strong public-private partnerships - a sentiment echoed by both Ranjan and Krishna.