Raksul Launched its New GCC in Bengaluru, Bets on AI-First ‘Nano GCC’ Model

Japanese multi-service platform company Raksul has launched a new GCC in Bengaluru, as a strategic hub for AI-led platform engineering and global technology decision-making.

The move comes amid Raksul’s rapid business expansion across multiple domains—including e-commerce, fintech, and marketing services—which has significantly increased system complexity and driven the need for high-quality engineering talent.

“Raksul is showing very rapid growth momentum, and this has increased our system complexity… To support this, we are seeking very good engineering talent,” Toshiharu Takeuchi, CTO, Raksul, tells AIM.

Starting with a handful of employees, the company doesn’t want to extend beyond 100 in headcount.

The company has deliberately chosen Bengaluru for its deep engineering ecosystem and expertise in system design, architecture, and platform engineering.

Unlike traditional GCCs that scale through large hiring volumes, Raksul is adopting a “nano GCC” approach—starting with a small, high-density team focused on solving high-impact problems using AI.

“It’s not about building capacity anymore. It’s about building capabilities,” Sujit Kulkarni, Site Leader, Raksul India, highlighting a broader shift in GCC strategy.

The Bengaluru centre will focus on core platform systems such as authentication, identity platforms, and shared infrastructure—critical components that cut across Raksul’s multi-service ecosystem.

“India will focus on deep expertise in platform engineering, shared infrastructure, and identity systems… these systems interact with multiple Raksul businesses,” Takeuchi noted.

AI is embedded across Raksul’s entire software development lifecycle—from coding to testing and reviews—fundamentally reshaping how teams operate.

As a result, the company is prioritising senior-level hiring to ensure architectural rigour and effective AI implementation.

Raksul’s model reflects a broader shift in how engineering teams are structured in the AI era, moving away from traditional pyramid models.

“Traditional pyramid-like structures are going away. We are focusing on highly qualified engineers who can work with AI agents as colleagues,” Kulkarni mentioned.

The company is also actively minimising repetitive and operational tasks, which are increasingly being handled by AI systems.

“Any task which is repetitive in nature should be reduced… this is not what we expect from humans,” he said.

Raksul’s GCC strategy follows a three-location model spanning Tokyo, Vietnam, and Bengaluru, with each hub playing a clearly defined and complementary role. Tokyo anchors product strategy and customer understanding, leveraging its proximity to the core market. 

Vietnam focuses on execution and development, driving delivery efficiency. Bengaluru, meanwhile, is positioned as the centre for platform engineering and architectural leadership, shaping the company’s core technology capabilities and decision-making.

“The technical guidance and leadership will come from Bengaluru,” Takeuchi mentioned, underscoring India’s growing strategic importance.

Raksul made it clear that its India strategy is not driven by cost savings, but by capability building and innovation.

Instead, the focus is on enabling decision-making and ownership within the India team.

“I want the India team to be involved in decision-making… not just filling resource gaps,” he added.

The company’s broader vision is to build a unified, AI-powered platform to support small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), particularly in Japan, where demographic challenges are reshaping the economy.

“We want to provide a one-stop solution for SMBs… integrating HR, finance, procurement, and operations,” Takeuchi mentioned.

This ambition is expected to create complex engineering challenges—further reinforcing the need for advanced platform capabilities in India.

Raksul’s approach reflects a growing trend among global companies—especially from Japan—towards smaller, high-impact GCCs that prioritise innovation over scale.

“Instead of large teams, companies are now looking at high-density teams with strong capabilities,” Kulkarni observed.

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