In today’s distributed work landscape, autonomy is a lifeline—especially for Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India, where remote teams are expected to operate with startup-level agility while being oceans away from HQ. Autonomy is what turns a delivery team into a strategic engine.
More US startups are experimenting with “pod-based” structures: small, cross-functional teams that function like startups within the company. Their appeal lies in autonomy, ownership, and speed. OpenAI, for example, famously organized ~475 engineers into 80+ pods of 5–9 people each. These pods operated independently, shipping fast without depending on layers of central oversight. For startups looking to scale with lean teams in India, this model is worth paying attention to.
In this blog, we explore why cross-functional pods are gaining traction in India-based GCCs—and how to structure them for maximum autonomy and impact.
Why Now: GCCs Are Evolving, and So Should the Way We Build Them
India’s GCCs have grown far beyond their back-office roots. Today, over 1.9 million professionals work in these centers, and they’re contributing to cutting-edge work in AI, product development, and R&D (Zinnov). By 2024, 86% of India’s GCCs were working on AI/ML projects—up from 65% in 2019.
This evolution demands new organizational structures. Traditional outsourcing models—characterized by top-down control and siloed roles—are buckling under the weight of modern demands. Today’s product-centric companies require agility, local decision-making, and tight integration between business and tech. That’s why pod-based models are catching on.
For US startups and SMBs, the opportunity is enormous—but so is the risk of doing it wrong. Hiring top talent in India is easier than ever, but without the right structure, offshore teams can suffer from misalignment, communication delays, unclear accountability, and disengagement.
That’s where pods come in. They offer a way to harness India’s talent while solving these operational friction points with a structure that encourages speed, clarity, and innovation.
What Are Cross-Functional Pods?
A pod is a self-contained, cross-functional team designed to deliver outcomes, not just output. Each pod typically includes:
- A product lead or product manager
- A tech lead or senior engineer
- Backend and frontend engineers
- QA/test engineer
- UX/UI designer or data analyst
- Sometimes DevOps or platform support
In contrast to conventional offshore setups—where an India dev team executes specs handed down from a US product manager—a pod has the full capability to design, build, test, and ship. They work like a mini-startup, taking full ownership of a product slice or goal.
The ethos is simple: “we build it, we own it.” That means fewer hand-offs, clearer accountability, and better integration. Unlike ad-hoc remote freelancers or loosely connected contractors, GCC pods are dedicated full-time, often co-located, and deeply aligned with your startup’s mission.
What Makes Pods Autonomous in a GCC Context?
1. Clear Objectives and True Ownership
Autonomy only works when objectives are crystal clear. Each pod must be assigned a specific mission—say, improving SMB onboarding—and own the outcome (e.g. increasing activation rate). This “mission command” approach empowers the pod to make decisions without waiting for approvals on every detail.
When goals shift frequently or remain vague, pods default to cautious, reactive behavior. In contrast, when they own a KPI and have the authority to drive it, they move faster and feel more accountable.
2. Embedded Product Thinking
A pod that doesn’t understand the user can’t be autonomous. Embedding product thinking inside the pod—either through a dedicated product manager or by empowering the tech lead—ensures the team can make customer-facing decisions.
In a GCC context, this is a radical shift from traditional “engineering-only” India teams. By building product capability locally, pods can align with the startup’s goals, conduct user testing, iterate on feedback, and deliver high-impact solutions without micromanagement from HQ.
3. Co-Located Decision Making
One of the biggest blockers in offshore operations is decision latency. If every change requires US sign-off, your team will stall. That’s why co-locating decision rights is crucial.
This doesn’t mean replicating the org chart in India—it means placing enough authority locally so that product, tech, and operations can make tactical decisions in real time. Whether through a pod lead, embedded product owner, or visiting US leader-turned-local manager, someone in the pod needs the autonomy to act.
Clearly defining what the pod can decide versus what requires HQ alignment (e.g., strategic roadmap pivots) is critical. Otherwise, your India pod becomes a passive executor instead of an active contributor.
4. Tight Feedback Loops and Transparent Metrics
Autonomy thrives in an environment where teams can measure, iterate, and improve. That requires fast feedback loops—both from users and from internal metrics.
Agile ceremonies like retrospectives, sprint demos, and backlog grooming help maintain rhythm. But modern teams go further by using AI-powered dashboards to track sprint health, code quality, or even team sentiment. This visibility lets pods self-correct and optimize without waiting for quarterly reviews.
The key is shifting from output metrics (lines of code, tickets closed) to outcome metrics (activation rate, conversion, retention). That transition reinforces a culture of accountability—teams are judged not by how much they do, but by what impact they create.
Common Blockers to Avoid
Even with the right intent, autonomy can be derailed. Here are three patterns to watch for:
- Micromanagement from HQ: This destroys trust and slows teams down. If every small decision gets reversed or overruled, pod members disengage.
- Unclear governance: When decision rights are not defined, teams default to “better safe than sorry”—and wait for direction.
- Weak product linkage: Pods that aren’t looped into strategy or roadmaps become execution arms with no context or creative input.
To build autonomous pods, companies must shift from a control mindset to an empowerment mindset. That includes training leaders, setting expectations clearly, and creating bi-directional alignment between India and the US.
Strategic Benefits of the Pod Model
Adopting a pod structure in your India GCC has tangible payoffs:
- Faster execution: Autonomous pods ship faster by avoiding hand-offs and permission loops. With time zone differences, you may even wake up to progress overnight.
- Lower overhead: A self-managing pod doesn’t need a project manager for every 3 engineers. You save managerial bandwidth and reduce org bloat.
- Higher retention: Top India talent wants ownership, not just instructions. Empowered teams stick around longer and perform better.
- Greater innovation: Pods that own a KPI experiment more, learn faster, and contribute to product evolution—not just implementation.
Financially, the upfront investment in product/design roles pays off in reduced friction and faster value delivery. Rather than chasing cost arbitrage, forward-looking companies now treat their India GCCs as growth drivers.
How to Build Cross-Functional Pods: A Practical Framework
1. Start With Business Goals, Not Headcount
Avoid the “just hire 10 engineers” trap. Define what you want your India team to achieve—whether it’s a new product module, an improved feature, or 24/7 operations—and then structure the pod around that goal.
2. Define Roles and Decision Rights Upfront
Each pod typically includes:
- Pod Lead (tech or product)
- Product Manager or proxy
- 3–5 engineers
- QA, design, data roles as needed
Also define: What can this pod decide? What requires HQ input? Put it in writing.
3. Build Complementary Skill Clusters
Make sure the pod is self-sufficient. If your product is data-heavy, include an analyst. If the interface is complex, embed a designer. The goal is to avoid external dependencies.
4. Train Pod Leads for Distributed Leadership
Pod leads need more than technical chops. Train them in agile, async collaboration, stakeholder communication, and cultural alignment. Rotate leaders between HQ and India, or embed trusted team members to seed culture and process.
5. Use AI Tools to Track and Improve
Leverage AI to monitor sprint performance, spot blockers early, and even gauge team sentiment. These tools augment leadership without micromanaging. They help the pod stay focused, supported, and aligned.
Pod Blueprint at a Glance
| Element | Description |
| Mission & Metrics | Each pod owns a goal (e.g., “increase SMB onboarding”) and tracks outcomes, not just output |
| Roles | Product lead, tech lead, engineers, QA, design, analyst |
| Decision Authority | Local autonomy for daily decisions, clear escalation rules |
| Practices | Agile + async tools + documentation + sprint dashboards |
| Accountability | Outcome-driven culture, regular feedback loops, visible progress |
Conclusion
The real power of pods is cultural as much as structural. When your India GCC teams feel trusted, connected, and accountable—they deliver like founders, not freelancers. They don’t wait to be told what to do. They lead.
By shifting from functional silos to autonomous pods, startups can scale globally without losing agility. They gain leverage, speed, and access to world-class talent that acts with ownership. That’s the future of distributed work.
Ralent helps US startups and SMBs launch lean, AI-augmented GCC squads in India—rapidly hiring top 1% talent, structuring pods, and ensuring compliance. Let’s build your future team.
