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Bengaluru: Demand for talent across global capability centres has increased 5-7% quarter-on-quarter during the second quarter ended September 2025.
The quarter has seen a continued focus on building capability rather than expanding headcount, with most demand stemming from AI and data, platform engineering, cloud, cybersecurity, and FinOps roles, according to a new report.
Sectors like BFSI, manufacturing, automotive, energy, technology, and hardware have become the main pillars of GCC growth, led by AI-enabled credit and risk operations in BFSI, EV and smart-factory programs in manufacturing, semiconductor and embedded AI development in the technology segment, said flexi-staffing firm Quess Corp.
In its new report on "India's GCC Tech Talent Landscape: Q2 FY26", unveiled on Wednesday, Quess Corp said hiring budgets are now focused around revenue-critical and resilience-focused functions, creating steady demand for platform engineering, data management, and FinOps roles that support these programmes.
Bengaluru led GCC hiring in Q2 FY26 with a 26% share, followed by Hyderabad (22%), Pune (15%), and Chennai (12%). Bengaluru saw strong traction in advanced AI and FinOps roles, while Hyderabad gained momentum in multi-cloud integration and data reliability. Pune and Chennai also recorded steady growth in automotive software, platform migration, and intelligent quality assurance.
With the recent increase in H-1B visa fees, global enterprises are allocating a larger share of high-value work in AI, R&D, data, and cybersecurity to their India GCCs. This shift is cementing India’s position as a key global delivery base and is expected to accelerate capability expansion and job creation within the country’s technology ecosystem over the coming quarters.
India currently hosts around 1,850 active GCCs and employs over 2 million professionals and the ecosystem is on track to reach 2.5 million by 2030. The report notes that sustainable growth will depend on strengthening Tier-2 delivery, investing in skill development, and embedding capability-based operating models across centres.
Commenting on the findings of the report, Kapil Joshi, CEO-IT Staffing, Quess Corp, said, "Roles in AI and Data Science saw an 8% uplift, and FinOps-driven cloud hiring rose 6%, underscoring enterprise focus on performance and cost optimization. While Tier-1 metros like Bengaluru and Hyderabad continue to anchor advanced AI and cloud roles, Tier-2 hubs such as Coimbatore, Kochi, and Ahmedabad, each recording 8-9% QoQ growth, are scaling as cost-efficient delivery bases."