Building a world-class innovation hub in India: REA Group's journey with Thoughtworks
For over 15 years, REA Group and Thoughtworks have been true partners in innovation, transforming how the world experiences property. What began as a collaboration to build core business capabilities–cloud-native infrastructure, mobile solutions, and a robust search platform–evolved into a deep strategic partnership. As REA transitioned from a "search" to a "match" business model, Thoughtworks supported their re-platforming and enhanced their data capabilities.
In line with REA's ambitions to drive tech innovation to new heights, Thoughtworks helped REA establish a thriving Offshore Development Center (ODC) in India. This successful ODC then paved the way for REA to launch their Global Capability Center (GCC) in Cyber City, Gurugram.
But this was no ordinary expansion. REA wasn’t just scaling operations - it was building a world-class technology hub, replicating its Melbourne culture and fostering ownership-driven teams. Thoughtworks ODC provided the "springboard effect" for REA in hiring good talent, capability development through tailored onboarding journey and technical bootcamps, embedding world-class engineering practices, advisory on GCC org design and delivery structures to ensure REA’s GCC wasn’t just an offshore extension, but a center of innovation and autonomy.
Today, Thoughtworks continues to partner with REA, supporting their GCC through workstreams focused on transition and change management, capability building and talent acquisition. This video showcases the latest chapter in this strategic partnership, highlighting the journey from long-standing collaboration to a world-class innovation hub.
