AI, data and cybersecurity drive 3 in 10 GCC tech hiring demand: Report

Quess Corp's Q2 FY27 report finds rising demand for specialised AI, data and cybersecurity skills despite a 3.5 per cent decline in overall GCC tech hiring, with Tier-2 cities gaining ground

Artificial intelligence (AI), data and cybersecurity accounted for 30.3% of technology hiring demand across India's Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in July-September 2026, up from 25.8 per cent in the previous quarter, according to a report by Quess Corp. This came even as overall GCC tech hiring demand declined 3.5 per cent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ), it added.

 

The India GCC Tech Talent Landscape – Q2 FY27 Report, published on Thursday, the demand for AI, data and analytics professionals grew approximately 14 per cent QoQ, while cybersecurity and risk management demand increased 12 per cent.

 

Kapil Joshi, CEO – IT Staffing, Quess Corp, said, "India’s GCC ecosystem continues to expand, but its growth is also changing the skills companies need. AI, data and cybersecurity accounted for 30.3 per cent of tech hiring demand in Q2 FY27, while Coimbatore recorded around 30 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth in GCC tech hiring."

 

AI skills gain ground across sectors

AI and generative AI (GenAI) skill requirements increased across all eight sectors covered in the report. Technology and product GCCs recorded the highest share of postings requiring these skills, at 32 per cent, up from 27 per cent in Q1 FY27, the report said.

 

Pharma and healthcare saw a five-percentage-point increase to 23 per cent, while professional services and consulting recorded a four-percentage-point rise to 22 per cent, it added.

 

The report said that AI skill requirements also increased in sectors facing declining hiring demand.

 

Manufacturing and industrial, BFSI, and telecom and networks recorded hiring declines of 9 per cent, 8 per cent and 24 per cent, respectively. However, their AI and GenAI skill requirements increased to 13 per cent, 23 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively.

Specialist roles face talent shortages

AI, data and analytics increased its share of GCC tech hiring from 16.7 per cent to 19.7 per cent, while cybersecurity and risk management rose from 9.1 per cent to 10.6 per cent. Software and digital engineering remained the largest job family, accounting for 22 per cent.

 

The report estimated a 38-42 per cent talent supply gap in AI, data and analytics and a 30-35 per cent gap in cybersecurity. Applied data science and model operations demand grew 19 per cent, while cloud security and AI-infused architecture increased 21 per cent.

 

Around 87-88 per cent of advanced-skill hiring remained concentrated in Tier-1 cities. The report identified reskilling and internal mobility as ways to address shortages, including transitions from data science to model operations and cybersecurity analysis to cloud security.

Tier-2 hiring rises 13%, led by Coimbatore

As per the report, tier-2 cities recorded 13 per cent Q-o-Q growth in GCC hiring, taking their share to around 14 per cent. Coimbatore led with 30 per cent growth, while job postings in the first week of September were more than 200% higher than in the corresponding period in August.

 

Among Tier-1 cities, Pune was the only metro to record growth, at 2 per cent. Bengaluru remained the largest GCC hiring hub, accounting for 22.6 per cent of demand. Hyderabad and Mumbai recorded declines of 10 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively.

 

India's active GCC base stood at an estimated 2,250-2,400 centres, up 5-6 per cent Q-o-Q. The country's GCC workforce is projected to reach 2.7-2.8 million by 2030, the report said.