Beyond GCC: How Woodside is building its Bengaluru global hub

Woodside Energy, Australia’s largest listed energy company, is building its Bengaluru operation as more than a conventional global capability centre, bringing together technology, digital, finance, procurement and operations capabilities to support its global business. The company marked the progress of its new Woodside Global Solutions hub in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

The centre has already grown to about 150 to 160 people since the office was set up in February, with the new office becoming operational mid-year. It brings together expertise in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science and product engineering, alongside finance and operations support, with teams working closely with colleagues across Woodside’s global locations.

For Woodside, the choice of Bengaluru followed an assessment of several countries and cities, with the availability of technology skills emerging as a key consideration.

“We actually went through an exercise last year and looked at multiple countries and cities,” said Sameer Singhal, Head of Digital Solutions Centre, Woodside. “We want to look at where do we operate, where do we want to go as a company globally and what makes sense to us from our talent and time zone capability.”

India was selected first, followed by an evaluation of several Indian cities. Singhal said the technology skills Woodside typically needs were more readily available in Bengaluru, making the city a natural choice for the company.

Kristine Leo, Woodside Vice President and India Country Manager, said the Bengaluru operation is being developed with a broader ambition than simply establishing a GCC.

“The roadmap, I guess, revolves around a GCC, as many companies do,” Leo said. “But we are hoping to create just another Woodside corporate hub.”

With Woodside already operating from major international locations including Perth and Houston, Leo said the India operation could create further opportunities for partnerships and value creation as it develops. The company is taking a gradual approach to its expansion rather than rushing its growth.

Technology will be central to that journey, but the company’s executives say its adoption has to remain tied to business outcomes. Singhal said one principle guiding the centre is to be “Designed for scale”, arguing that companies often struggle when successful pilots cannot be expanded into larger operations.

The same approach applies to artificial intelligence. Singhal distinguishes between using AI for individual productivity and using it to deliver outcomes for the business.

“Our belief is it is not about AI for the sake of implementing technology, it is about what's the business problem we are trying to solve,” he said.

For an energy company, that distinction becomes particularly important because safety remains a fundamental consideration. Woodside operates major hazard facilities, and Singhal said AI cannot be allowed to take over areas where security and safety are involved.

“Humans in the loop, humans on the loop are also very critical elements of how we believe AI should be managed in the company,” he said.

Cybersecurity is another area the Bengaluru centre is expected to strengthen. Singhal described it as a boardroom issue rather than one confined to IT, pointing to the role of risk and audit committees in assessing an organisation’s cybersecurity posture.

Abhishek Agrawal, Head of HR - India, Woodside Energy.

The centre’s broader role is also tied to managing risk through talent and capability. Abhishek Agrawal, Head of HR, India, said expanding the company’s global footprint gives it access to additional capabilities and perspectives that can help address complex problems.

“The genesis of Woodside Global Solutions in Bengaluru was also with that idea of developing our centre as a technology and innovation hub around digital transformation, around business processes,” Agrawal said.

As the India operation grows, Woodside is also focusing on the less visible challenge of integrating teams across countries and cultures. Agrawal said the company has introduced cultural programmes involving teams in India and Australia to help employees understand different ways of working.

The result is an India centre being built around technology and talent, but with a deliberately broader remit. For Woodside, Bengaluru is expected to become part of the company’s global operating model, while AI and other technologies are deployed with a focus on business outcomes, governance and the human judgement required in an industry where safety is critical.