Emids bets big on India GCC playbook, plans 1,000 forward-deployed context engineers

Bengaluru: Digital healthcare services firm Emids is doubling down on the global capability centre (GCC) opportunity, planning to build a workforce of 1,000 forward-deployed context engineers (FDCEs) over the next 12 months as enterprises seek greater value from artificial intelligence deployments.The company believes healthcare GCCs are entering a new phase of evolution, where demand is shifting from traditional engineering talent to professionals who combine deep domain expertise with AI capabilities.Speaking to TOI, Emids CEO Abhishek Shankar said most large healthcare companies already operate GCCs, but are now looking to transform them into strategic AI-led innovation hubs."Most Fortune 2000 healthcare companies already have GCCs, but in the AI era they are trying to derive significantly more value from them. What they need is not just engineers, but forward-deployed context engineers who understand the healthcare ecosystem and can effectively combine AI with domain expertise," Shankar said.Forward-deployed context engineering replaces lengthy development cycles with AI-powered agents embedded within core healthcare functions such as claims processing, prior authorisation, care management and member engagement. These agents continuously learn from workflows and data, enabling organisations to deliver measurable outcomes in weeks rather than months.Emids plans to have at least 1,000 FDCEs operating from India and other delivery locations, including the Philippines, by 2027. Roughly half of the workforce will be newly hired, while the remainder will be developed through reskilling existing employees.The company currently employs more than 1,500 people in India.According to Shankar, AI is reshaping talent requirements within GCCs. "Finding people who understand the US healthcare market and can apply AI in that context is extremely difficult. That's where specialist firms like us come in," he said.He argued that AI is expanding rather than shrinking the volume of work available. "There is far more work to be done now than before. AI is opening up demand that previously couldn't be served."As GCCs mature, Emids is helping clients move beyond traditional productivity measures such as engineering output and focus instead on business outcomes, including faster claims processing, better insurance quality ratings and improved patient care metrics.