GCCs to ditch hiring surge for AI, cyber skills in 2026 : Experts
India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are shifting away from mass hiring and focusing instead on specialised skills in AI, cloud, and cybersecurity as they head into 2026, a move that could reshape both job creation and the future of the country’s tech workforce.
“The outlook for GCCs in 2026 is clearly shifting from headcount-led growth to capability-led expansion,” said Kapil Joshi, CEO of IT Staffing at Quess Corp. Overall IT hiring is expected to grow 12-15 % next year, largely driven by GCC demand in AI engineering, cloud platforms, and cyber modernisation.
This shift is also visible in how centres operate. Nearly 90% of large GCCs in India now function as innovation hubs, while about one in eight runs independent global product mandates, Joshi said.
The scale of the ecosystem continues to expand even as hiring becomes more selective. “India’s GCC ecosystem will continue to grow at the current run rate,” said Neeti Sharma, CEO of TeamLease. India has over 1,800 GCCs, employing around 10.4 million people, with salaries that are 25-30% higher than those in other sectors. “In 2026, around 120 new mid-sized GCCs will be set up in India, creating nearly 40,000 new jobs,” she said. These roles will be concentrated in AI, cloud, data, and cybersecurity, as GCCs add newer skills alongside traditional technology roles.
Expansion is expected to remain strong across both new and existing centres. ANSR estimates that 80 to 110 new GCCs are likely to be set up next year, creating over 200,000 jobs. “The industry is growing 12-15% and is expected to reach about $75 billion in revenue,” said Vikram Ahuja, co-founder of ANSR. He added that midmarket companies and expansion beyond the largest metros are emerging as key growth drivers.
Replacement hiring
But while net hiring will stay positive, replacement hiring will form a large part of recruitment activity in 2026. “After adding over 150,000 net headcount in 2025, Indian GCCs are likely to add another 200,000 in 2026,” said Kamal Karanth, co-founder of Xpheno. Attrition is expected to remain between 14-18%. This could result in almost 300,000 replacement hires annually on a talent base of about two million professionals. When net additions are taken into account, the total gross hiring across the GCCs could reach close to 500,000 in 2026, or nearly 2,000 onboardings per working day.
The rising importance of tier-II and tier-III cities in GCC expansion is a significant structural change. Joshi said these locations are expected to account for 13-15% of IT hiring in 2026, helping companies balance costs with access to newer talent pools.
About 7% of GCCs are already located in tier-2 and 3 cities, up from 5% a few years ago, with job postings in these markets growing close to 20% year-on-year, noted Sharma. Cities such as Coimbatore, Kochi, Jaipur, Indore, GIFT City, Mysore, Mangalore, and Vizag are emerging as viable alternatives due to operating costs that are 20-30% lower.
“2026 will be less about the size of GCCs and more about the depth of skills and the complexity of work they deliver,” said Joshi. GCC expansion in 2026 will be more skill-led, distributed, and focused on long-term capability building rather than just headcount, added Sharma.
“The outlook for GCCs in 2026 is clearly shifting from headcount-led growth to capability-led expansion,” said Kapil Joshi, CEO of IT Staffing at Quess Corp. Overall IT hiring is expected to grow 12-15 % next year, largely driven by GCC demand in AI engineering, cloud platforms, and cyber modernisation.
This shift is also visible in how centres operate. Nearly 90% of large GCCs in India now function as innovation hubs, while about one in eight runs independent global product mandates, Joshi said.
The scale of the ecosystem continues to expand even as hiring becomes more selective. “India’s GCC ecosystem will continue to grow at the current run rate,” said Neeti Sharma, CEO of TeamLease. India has over 1,800 GCCs, employing around 10.4 million people, with salaries that are 25-30% higher than those in other sectors. “In 2026, around 120 new mid-sized GCCs will be set up in India, creating nearly 40,000 new jobs,” she said. These roles will be concentrated in AI, cloud, data, and cybersecurity, as GCCs add newer skills alongside traditional technology roles.
Expansion is expected to remain strong across both new and existing centres. ANSR estimates that 80 to 110 new GCCs are likely to be set up next year, creating over 200,000 jobs. “The industry is growing 12-15% and is expected to reach about $75 billion in revenue,” said Vikram Ahuja, co-founder of ANSR. He added that midmarket companies and expansion beyond the largest metros are emerging as key growth drivers.
Replacement hiring
But while net hiring will stay positive, replacement hiring will form a large part of recruitment activity in 2026. “After adding over 150,000 net headcount in 2025, Indian GCCs are likely to add another 200,000 in 2026,” said Kamal Karanth, co-founder of Xpheno. Attrition is expected to remain between 14-18%. This could result in almost 300,000 replacement hires annually on a talent base of about two million professionals. When net additions are taken into account, the total gross hiring across the GCCs could reach close to 500,000 in 2026, or nearly 2,000 onboardings per working day.
The rising importance of tier-II and tier-III cities in GCC expansion is a significant structural change. Joshi said these locations are expected to account for 13-15% of IT hiring in 2026, helping companies balance costs with access to newer talent pools.
About 7% of GCCs are already located in tier-2 and 3 cities, up from 5% a few years ago, with job postings in these markets growing close to 20% year-on-year, noted Sharma. Cities such as Coimbatore, Kochi, Jaipur, Indore, GIFT City, Mysore, Mangalore, and Vizag are emerging as viable alternatives due to operating costs that are 20-30% lower.
“2026 will be less about the size of GCCs and more about the depth of skills and the complexity of work they deliver,” said Joshi. GCC expansion in 2026 will be more skill-led, distributed, and focused on long-term capability building rather than just headcount, added Sharma.
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