GCCs log over 150,000 net talent additions in 2025

Bengaluru: In 2025, India’s global capability centre (GCC) ecosystem reached a level of maturity, and has grown beyond mere cost arbitrage to innovation and R&D hubs. India is seen as a strategic market that can deliver both innovation and high-skilled talent.

Zinnov, a global management and strategy consulting firm, in its recent report said that about 50 new GCCs opened in India in the first two quarters of CY2025 alone. The country houses 1,700 GCCs.

According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the GCCs’ combined revenue has jumped from $40.4 billion in FY19, to $64.6 billion in FY24.

These GCCs employ over 19 lakh people across the country. With major clusters in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, and Mumbai, the sector is projected to reach $105 billion by 2030. The ministry added that over 400 new GCCs and 1,100 units have been added in the past five years.

Fidelity International Head of Global Platform Solutions Delivery and Site Head — India Rohit Jetly said global enterprises are no longer coming to India only for scale and execution; they are coming for leadership. “Over the last several years, global firms have recognised that India can set strategy, design platforms, and deliver transformation at the scale and quality the world expects,” he said.

Beyond Key HR Head Ambrish Kanungo said GCCs are a major force behind hiring momentum. As reports pointed out, GCCs and product-focused companies have become the main engines pushing IT hiring forward these days. “This shift is turning India from just a place that delivers services into a real partner for global innovation. From the HR side, it means higher demands on building deeper leadership benches, giving teams more room to make decisions, and getting better at working across cultures. Talent development is becoming as critical as talent acquisition,” he said.

US-headquartered technology company Pitney Bowes has its largest GCC in India. Its VP — Data Science & Analytics and MD, India, Pankaj Sachdeva said GCCs have moved beyond execution roles to become strong drivers of innovation and value creation. Increased adoption of AI, a stronger focus on Centers of Excellence, and greater ownership of global charters at India GCCs have accelerated this shift.

GCCs are seen accelerating their recruitment of tech professionals much faster than traditional IT companies. Specialist staffing firm Xpheno Co-Founder Kamal Karanth said hiring momentum within the country’s GCCs is expected to carry forward into 2026, building on the strong trends seen through 2025. “The new year begins with the advantage of close to 100 greenfield GCCs set up in 2025, who would all be actively hiring for capacity in 2026. Further, sustained hiring for expansion by several operational mid-size and large GCCs, has set the stage for a heightened talent action in 2026,” he added.

Having recorded over 150,000 net talent additions in 2025, GCCs in India are now positioned to further scale their workforce by around 200,000 in 2026. This projected net growth of GCC workforce is set to be the highest over a 5-year period. Also, the current fiscal ending March 2026, would be the third in a row when the GCCs net additions would close higher than the net additions by the IT Services cohort, he added.