Natwest Group Bangalore
Natwest Group (earlier known as the Royal Bank of Scotland Group) has a large Global Capability Center (GCC) in India with a multi-location strategy and presence in five Indian cities.
Client/Employer
Natwest Group
Year
2014-2015
Category
Banking and Capital Markets
Global Capability Center
Type of Work
Business Case
Governance
SEZ Compliances
GCC Set Up
Partners Ecosystem
The Global Capability Center (GCC) of NatWest Group in India was established and has grown both organically and inorganically over the years, driven by the acquisitions of ABN AMRO and Churchill.
As a result of these strategic acquisitions, which included the integration of technology and other workforce assets along with non-people assets, NatWest Group's GCC expanded its presence across Mumbai, Gurgaon, Delhi, and Chennai, operating through multiple legal entities.
To align with its Technology Workforce strategy and leverage the superior technology talent pool in and around Bangalore, as well as to capitalize on synergies within the ecosystem of its technology partners, the group decided to establish a new GCC unit and site in Bangalore in 2013.
The Founding Partner and mentors at Concinnity were entrusted with planning and executing this strategic initiative as employees of the GCC and senior members of the management team.
In January 2014, the core team of two arrived in Bangalore and quickly got to work. They secured 20 seats in one of the Royal Bank of Scotland branches at UB City, located in the central business district, while scouting for suitable properties to house the new unit.
The team evaluated four property options across IT Parks and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Bangalore, varying in size and configuration. A comprehensive business case was developed, incorporating an options analysis and a detailed cost-benefit evaluation for each property.
Ultimately, the management team chose a 1,000-seat facility within a Special Economic Zone in Bangalore. The team ensured robust financial governance of the business case, successfully finalizing the decision within three months.
The interim office at UB City was reconfigured to accommodate up to 50 colleagues, enabling the hiring process in Bangalore to commence while the new 1,000-seat office was being fitted out.
The core team in Bangalore, which had expanded to include leads from IT Infrastructure, Administration, and Talent Acquisition, closely oversaw all aspects of the property and technology fit-out for the new office.
The team ensured full compliance with state regulations related to property, taxes, accounting, employment, and Special Economic Zone requirements. Once the office fit-out was completed, the newly hired colleagues were seamlessly relocated to the new facility, which was made fully operational.
The unit reached its approved capacity of 1,000 full-time employees (FTEs) within six months of moving in. It delivered a benefit rate of GBP 52 million annually in capital and recurring cost savings starting from its first year of operations.
The new unit became home to Centers of Excellence across multiple domains, including IT Infrastructure, IT Service Management, Enterprise, Risk & Functions Technology, Enterprise Data, Finance Technology, Markets Technology, Technology Vendor Management, Cost Management, Business Management, and Technology Procurement.
Ramping up the capabilities of the new unit required rigorous Transition Management, marked by well-informed demand and supply-side interventions. This approach established a steady-state operating rhythm across all Centers of Excellence (CoEs).
The new unit also leveraged its proximity to key technology partners in Bangalore and Mysore, fostering collaboration through frequent visits, knowledge sharing, and exchanges between NatWest and partner teams.
Since its inception, the Bangalore unit has played a pivotal role in delivering critical technology transformations for the bank, including the virtualization of IT infrastructure, the development of Open Banking APIs, and the launch of mobile banking applications.
