Inside Synchrony’s new Hyderabad hub: VR demos, hackathons and a 6,000-colleague vision

Virtual reality demonstrations, interactive customer journeys and a dedicated hackathon space have landed at Synchrony’s Hyderabad campus, where the US financial services company has opened its largest global experience centre and innovation station. At nearly 6,000 square feet, it is Synchrony’s third such facility worldwide, after two in the United States.

The experience centre lets employees, customers and partners explore Synchrony’s products and business capabilities hands-on, using real-world use cases drawn from its health and wellness, home and auto, lifestyle, digital and diversified value platforms rather than static presentations.

The adjoining innovation station is where the hackathon culture comes in: employees can work with emerging technologies, build prototypes, test out new ideas and take part in innovation challenges. Synchrony said the goal behind both spaces is to encourage collaboration, continuous learning and innovation that cuts across teams.

Florin Arghirescu, Synchrony’s executive vice president and chief technology officer, said the investment shows confidence in India’s talent and the country’s contributions to technology, AI and enterprise platforms.

Rachana Bahadur, senior vice president and country head for India, said the centre was built with more than 6,000 colleagues in mind, aimed at helping teams see how their work connects to customers on the other end.

Wikimedia Commons/by Rameshng