By Gaurav Kapoor, Vice-Chairman and Co-Founder, MetricStream
Globally, the business environment today is anything but predictable. As regulatory demands multiply and risks become increasingly interconnected, companies face several challenges when tackling matters concerning governance, risk, and compliance (GRC).
According to a recently released 2025 Financial Crime Report by Kroll, an independent provider of global financial and risk advisory solutions, concerns about financial crime are running super high, especially in India. An overwhelming 96% of executives in the country’s financial and professional services sectors expect financial crime risks to rise. This number is significantly above the global average of 71%.
Likewise, the Accenture Risk Study 2024 reveals that a vast majority of risk leaders (83%) are seeing a rapid escalation in the complexity and pace of emerging risks. Yet, many organizations across the globe are still relying on fragmented systems that cannot keep up. In fact, Deloitte’s 2023 Global Risk Management Survey found that 69% of executives operate in siloed risk environments, leaving critical oversight gaps.
However, as the focus essentially shifts to simplifying GRC processes, the way forward is to incorporate an AI-first connected GRC strategy, which can cut through complexity, strengthen compliance, and help leaders make smarter and faster decisions.
This article looks at five compelling reasons your organization needs a connected GRC solution today.
1. Breaks Down Silos to Strengthen Risk Visibility
In many organizations, risk and compliance efforts are still fragmented, handled separately by IT security, legal, and finance teams. This lack of coordination often leads to patchy reporting and missed opportunities for cross-functional insight. The result is huge gaps in oversight where critical risks or compliance issues can slip through the cracks.
Adopting a connected GRC solution enables organizations to move beyond siloed operations by bringing risk and compliance functions onto a single, integrated platform. It also creates a unified view of risks and controls across departments, bringing better workflows and encouraging collaboration. With centralized data and shared visibility, managing complex, interconnected risks becomes far more efficient and proactive.
In fact, this shift toward integration reflects a broader trend that is seen in the India Regulatory Technology Business Report 2024–2029 findings, which highlight the growing adoption of compliance automation, AI, and machine learning in the Indian market. The report points to a future where GRC is driven by data, merging operations, technology, and control into a single, intelligent framework.
2. Brings Automated & Scalable Compliance Solutions
Finding a path through the ever-evolving regulatory landscape is a significant challenge for organizations, particularly in India. According to PwC’s 2023 Global Risk Survey – India edition, 63% of Indian companies are analyzing regulatory and compliance data to manage risks and identify opportunities, compared to the global average of 50%. This proactive approach necessitates scalable, automated compliance solutions that can adapt to new regulations and ensure consistent adherence across jurisdictions.
An AI-first, connected GRC solution takes the heavy lifting out of compliance. Instead of juggling disconnected systems and endless updates, it brings everything together, from tracking regulations to automating actions to keeping teams aligned. For compliance teams, that means less manual work and more time to focus on what matters.
For the organization, it means keeping pace with regulatory changes, reducing the risk of penalties, and protecting both reputation and peace of mind.
3. Cuts Costs and Boosts Efficiency by Unifying Systems
When different departments handle GRC separately, it often leads to duplicated efforts, data inconsistencies, and compliance gaps, which naturally drive up operational costs. In fact, as per a McKinsey study, 30% of risk management efforts get repeated across teams, simply because processes are fragmented and disconnected. This fragmented approach can cause critical risks that can be overlooked, potentially resulting in some serious financial and reputational damage.
A smart, integrated GRC solution brings everything (data, workflows, and reporting) into one place. It helps organizations run more smoothly by reducing errors and simplifying teamwork. It also means less time spent on admin and better use of people and resources where they are really needed.
4. Strengthens Operational Resilience
There is a growing focus on operational resilience driven by increasing regulatory expectations across the world. In line with global frameworks, in India, too, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the ‘Guidance Note on Operational Risk Management and Operational Resilience’ in April 2024. This comprehensive document aligns with global GRC best practices, including Basel Committee on Banking Supervision principles. Similarly, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has also introduced the Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience Framework (CSCRF) for regulated entities.
In this background, the traditional way of reacting to risks after they happen just doesn’t help anymore, especially when business disruptions can come from anywhere. A connected GRC solution helps organizations stay one step ahead by tying risk insights directly to continuity and response plans. That means teams can spot issues early, understand what’s at stake and put smarter plans in place before things escalate.
5. Helps Make Smarter Calls with Timely, Connected Data
In the modern business world, prudent decisions cannot wait. But when critical risk and compliance data is spread across different systems, leaders often work with outdated or fragmented information. A connected GRC setup brings everything together in one place, so decision-makers get real-time insights they can actually trust.
For leaders looking to bring everything together, a connected GRC platform powered by AI offers exactly that: a clear, unified view across risk, compliance, and governance. By combining data, automating insights, and streamlining reporting, GRC moves from being just a control function to becoming a real driver of smarter and more strategic decisions.