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U.S. retail group Catalyst Brands to expand India global centre, executive says
For Catalyst Brands, India's appeal as a GCC hub lies in a maturing talent ecosystem that can deliver on domain and technology expertise.
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Reuters - Mon, 18, May 2026
- 16:27 EDT
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Catalyst Brands Vice President and Managing Director Nihar Nidhi poses for a photograph during the Reuters Summit in Bengaluru, India, May 18, 2026. / REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh
Catalyst Brands plans to increase headcount at its Bengaluru global capability centre to about 1,000 by the end of the year, India managing director Nihar Nidhi said on May 18, as the Aeropostale owner taps into the country's deep talent pool to handle key business functions including digital initiatives.
Nidhi told Reuters that the centre's headcount is set to rise from about 650 at the start of the year, reflecting a higher share of global work being moved to India rather than an overall increase in the company's workforce.
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For Catalyst Brands, India's appeal as a GCC hub lies in a maturing talent ecosystem that can deliver on domain and technology expertise.
The company, formed by the merger of U.S. department store chain J.C. Penney and Sparc Group in 2025, also owns Brooks Brothers, Nautica and Lucky Brand.
Bengaluru is taking on expanded responsibilities across digital operations, creative services and core business functions such as planning and allocation, while also emerging as a key hub for piloting AI-led initiatives including automated product descriptions, Nidhi said.
He added that productivity gains from AI are being used to redeploy employees to higher-value work rather than reduce hiring, as the retail sector remains in the early stages of adoption.
While Nidhi did not disclose specific investment figures, he said the scale and quality of AI use cases emerging from Bengaluru are raising expectations that "Bangalore will lead the agenda" in the future, backed by continued investment in talent and capabilities.
Catalyst Brands is bringing customer support operations in-house and moving more work from South America to Bengaluru, where it is consolidating global customer care and hiring aggressively, Nidhi said, adding the transition will largely be completed over the next two quarters.
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