Business that's hiring as AI race hots up: GCCs outpace IT giants

GCCs outpace traditional IT giants in taking in talent as they pivot from basic operations to strategic AI, marking a decisive shift from maintenance to modernisation

Global capability centres (GCCs) in India are poised to outpace traditional information technology (IT) service providers this year, emerging as the primary engine for technology hiring and digital transformation.  While legacy giants face stagnant growth and macroeconomic headwinds, GCCs are shifting their focus from basic operations to “high-table” strategic AI initiatives. In this new landscape, the ability to move beyond AI pilots and reskill the workforce has become the ultimate survival metric. 

Overall tech hiring is expected to stagnate in FY26 to about 5.8 million, according to data from UnearthInsights. Of that lot, GCCs may add 130,000 to 150,000 people on a net basis for existing and new centres. IT services companies such as Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Wipro are expected to hire up to 35,000 people on a net basis in FY26, highlighting the yawning gap between the two sectors. 

 

The traditional IT services industry is hobbled by macroeconomic uncertainties and lack of clarity about deals, especially large ones (worth more than $75 million). Fresher hiring has nosedived also because of automation, machines writing codes and employers focusing on improving productivity and efficiency. 

By comparison, GCCs are flourishing with nearly 1,800 of them in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and other places, functioning in sectors as varied as finance, retail, health care, aerospace, and oil and gas, according to Nasscom. 

As GCCs take up specialised roles such as artificial intelligence (AI), they are hiring engineers with specialised skills. They hired about 140,000 people in FY25, up from about 60,000 in FY24. As many as 180,000 people may be hired in FY26 when about 100 GCCs are expected to start operations in India, according to data provided by Xpheno, a specialised staffing firm.  

“The top 125 GCCs have about 140,000 FTEs collectively. Headcount growth here is estimated to be flat in those, with a possibility of reduction, as some transactional work is likely to move to outsourcing to Indian IT services partners,” said Kamal Karanth, cofounder of Xpheno, referring to full-time equivalents. 

“Today, GCCs are no longer just exploring AI — rather, many have or are moving towards deployment. While AI thrust in this sector was expected, this year has seen a stronger drive for implementation. This cements India’s move from delivery centres to AI-driven enterprises, marking a leap in innovation and governance,” said Sachin Alug, CEO of NLB Services, a technology and digital talent solutions provider. 

For Indian GCCs to mature, the focus must shift from reskilling to moving AI from pilot phases to industrial-scale deployment. According to NLB Services, 56 per cent of GCCs remain stuck in the proof of concept (PoC) stage. While 31 per cent have structured deployment across specific verticals, only 13 per cent have successfully embedded AI into their core enterprise workflows. 

Experts argue the turning point for Indian AI isn’t its direction, but its depth. While the country excels at scaling pilots, the next frontier lies in moving beyond the surface; only by tackling data interoperability and process redesign can firms bridge the gap from isolated workflows to true enterprise-wide value. 

Over the next year, AI adoption will accelerate across people-heavy and operational domains, led by customer support, HR, and engineering. Meanwhile, sales, finance, and learning & development will focus on steady, structured experimentation. This trajectory points toward 2030 as the tipping point: Primary functions are set to hit full maturity, evolving from basic automation into strategic, enterprise-wide engines of agility. 

“If the AI-PoCs do not scale up in these centres, there will be questions from the executive sponsors of these GCCs in the headquarters,” said Gaurav Vasu, founder and chief executive officer of UnearthInsights. 

AI adoption will make several legacy roles redundant to create new ones, marking a decisive pivot from maintenance to modernization. According to NLB Services, demand is surging for architects in AI governance and cybersecurity, GenAI product owners, and prompt engineers. Conversely, traditional roles — L1 IT support, manual QA, and legacy app development — are being deprioritised as the focus shifts toward strategic, AI-driven infrastructure. 

“Universal training on OpenAI APIs, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and low/no-code platforms through weekly “AI Implementation Hours” enables every employee to automate workflows, analyse data, and innovate solutions with immediate productivity gains,” said a report by ANSR. 

Vasu, of UnearthInsights, believes fewer GCCs will begin operations next year as companies review their plans. “We had about 100 this calendar year and next year will be about 80. The Fortune 500 companies may take longer to make decisions and the pipeline has slowed due to the macro economy,” he told Business Standard. 

GCCs are estimated to have contributed about $112 billion in Indian IT exports in FY25. As many as 120 GCCs set up shop in India over the past 30 months and hired 41,000 full-time employees. Within GCCs, manufacturing and industrial centres hired 24 per cent of the people and they followed by BFSI centres at 19.6 per cent. 

Mayank Jauhari, head of people partner at Maersk GSC, is cautious about the hiring outlook for next year. “While GCCs continue to expand their capabilities, macroeconomic uncertainty is prompting organisations to focus on upgrading skills and investing in niche, critical roles, particularly in digital transformation, rather than broad-based hiring. Flexibility and cost efficiency will be essential, supported by a stronger emphasis on upskilling and internal mobility to navigate volatility.”