Why GCCs are moving towards specialised hiring from mass recruiting?

India’s global capability centres (GCCs) in 2026 are now moving towards specialised hiring from mass hiring. This is a shift from the mass hiring that was being done by GCCs over the last couple of years. This move has also slowed down overall hiring in the segment. According to Naukri.com parent company Info Edge’s latest JobSpeak report, GCC hiring is down by 4 per cent in April 2026 sequentially as smaller GCCs continue to hire, but some of the larger GCCs have seen headcount shrink over the last few quarters.

Experts observe that as GCC centres mature from cost arbitrage to value creation hubs, the hiring lens is shifting from scale to specialisation. “Instead of mass hiring, we’re seeing demand concentrate in roles that move the needle on productivity, resilience, and growth such as cloud and platform engineers; cybersecurity and identity specialists; data scientists and ML engineers; GenAI/LLM ops and prompt engineering; embedded software and silicon validation; site reliability and DevSecOps; product managers and UX researchers; and domain-heavy roles in finance operations, risk/compliance, and clinical data,” Sanketh Chengappa, Director and Business Head, Professional Staffing, Adecco India told THE WEEK.

This experts adds that combination of skills are an added advantage and three forces drive this pivot. “First, automation and AI are absorbing repeatable work, so talent ROI now comes from scarce skills that architect, secure, and monetise digital platforms. Second, enterprises want end-to-end ownership from GCCs product roadmaps, not just run-the-business, demanding full-stack, SRE, and product skill sets. Third, regulatory and cyber risks are rising, which elevates security engineering, data governance, and risk analytics. The result is a tighter, more multi-disciplined bench, fewer generalists, more deep specialists who can scale AI safely, harden infrastructure, and translate domain problems into engineered outcomes. Demand and supply is another challenge that the industry is facing today,” observed Chengappa.

HR experts also point out that GCCs are entering a new phase of growth where the focus is shifting from scale to capability. “Earlier, many centres were established to deliver large-scale operations. Today, they are driving global product development, AI innovation and enterprise transformation. As a result, hiring is becoming far more specialised, with organisations looking for niche skills that directly contribute to innovation and business outcomes rather than expanding headcount,” said Aditya Narayan Mishra the MD and CEO of CIEL HR.

He says that in GCCs, there is a strong demand for professionals in AI, Agentic AI, cloud engineering, cybersecurity, data engineering, AI platform engineering and digital engineering. “New roles such as Agentic AI Developers, GenAI Engineers, AI Product Managers, AI Solution Architects and Forward Deployment Engineers are becoming increasingly common as GCCs move from AI pilots to enterprise-wide deployment,” remarked Mishra.

Experts are also of the view that GCCs in India are moving away from mass hiring to specialised hiring because their role has fundamentally changed. “Earlier, they were primarily execution and support centres focused on scale. Today, they are innovation hubs responsible for global product development, AI-led transformation, engineering, and strategic decision-making. AI and automation have significantly reduced the need for large teams handling repetitive work, while increasing demand for highly skilled professionals,” observed Manoj Kandoth, founder and director at Urjja Resources.

As per this experts the key specialised hiring areas will include Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI, machine learning, MLOps), data engineering and advanced analytics, cloud architecture and cloud security, cybersecurity and digital Risk, product engineering and management, semiconductor design and embedded systems etc.

“Going forward, success will depend less on the number of employees and more on the quality of talent. GCCs will increasingly recruit professionals who can own intellectual property, lead global projects, and create business value rather than execute routine processes. This marks a shift from "headcount-led growth" to "capability-led growth," making specialised talent the biggest competitive advantage for GCCs,” added Kandoth.