Business that’s hiring as AI race hots up

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, reports Avik Das

- Avik Das

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.