India is rapidly emerging as the global talent hub for Global Capability Centers (GCCs) with hiring set to outpace the IT services segment by FY 2026 (CAGR 11-14 percent).
With 1,580 plus GCCs and a 30-40 percent cost advantage, companies are shifting high-value work—AI, data analytics, and digital transformation to India. A key driver is the country’s strong STEM talent pipeline, producing 1.5 million graduates annually, meeting the demand for specialized skills. Meanwhile, GCCs are evolving into R&D hubs, leading innovation in AI, fintech, and healthcare tech. This shift is also reshaping India’s workforce, as professionals move from traditional IT firms to GCCs at a rapid pace.
Experts point out that the GCCs in India have evolved beyond cost arbitrage into strategic innovation hubs. Today, they are attracting specialized talent in transformative domains, including data science, AI and ML engineering, cloud architecture, cybersecurity, digital product engineering, and experience design. While IT services organizations often build capability around immediate project requirements, GCCs are investing sustainable innovation ecosystems focused on cloud-native architectures, AI-enabled platforms, and comprehensive digital transformation.
“We are seeing particular momentum in business intelligence, agile delivery frameworks, and composable platform engineering capabilities. Industries like financial services, healthcare, and retail are prioritizing professionals who blend technical expertise with domain knowledge to drive meaningful outcomes for end-customers. As technology continues to transform industries, GCCs' deliberate investment in building diverse, future-ready teams will enable them to scale not just operations but accelerate genuine innovation capability for enterprises across the globe.This, in turn, will continue to accelerate the demand for top-tier talent at GCCs,” remarked Regina Thomas, Head of Talent Acquisition, India, Encora.
Market experts further observe that with GCCs transforming into strategic partners for their parent companies, recruitment has moved toward high-value, innovation-oriente roles. Some of the common positions in technology hiring include software developers, cloud architects, data engineers, cybersecurity professionals, and product managers. There is also high demand for data scientists, DevOps engineers, UI or UX designers, and digital transformation specialists. Roles in emerging technologies in AI or ML and digital twins are on the rise. GCCs also hire the best talent available in operations, finance, HR, and customer support as an extension of their global teams.
“GCCs are redefining recruitment with a focus on quality over quantity. In contrast to traditional IT services firms, which mostly adopt a project-based, transactional model, GCCs cultivate a dynamic recruitment strategy of hiring environment that can adapt to fast-changing technological demands. Hence, they actively compete for top talent, making strong employer branding and effective talent engagement critical to attracting and retaining the best,” remarked Narane Gundabathula, Executive Manager, Talent Acquisition at Hexagon R&D India.
Hiring is in full spree at many GCCs. Take for instance Evernorth Health Sevices in Hyderabad is hiring across AI, data science, cloud engineering, cybersecurity, and healthcare technology to drive innovation in global healthcare. Additionally, this GCC is bringing in digital health experts, and automation professionals to enhance healthcare solutions through tech-driven insights. GCCs are building in-house expertise, directly aligning talent with long-term business goals rather than project-based staffing.
“GCCs are innovation hubs, not just service providers, giving them a hiring edge over IT services firms. Unlike project-driven IT hiring, GCC builds long-term, business-critical expertise in AI, automation, and digital health, directly impacting global healthcare solutions. What sets GCC hiring apart from conventional IT services is the depth of ownership. Our focus on industry-specific roles and emerging technologies offers higher career stability, greater innovation, and deeper specialization, positioning GCC hiring ahead of conventional IT firms,” Yadhu Kishore Nandikolla, Human Resources Director, Evernorth Health Services India.
