India’s GCCs shift to AI upskilling as demand for skilled tech talent grows

India's Global Capability Centres are increasingly preparing existing employees for AI and advanced technology roles instead of depending only on fresh recruitment, while Bengaluru continues to lead hiring and Hyderabad records faster growth. India's Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are changing the way they build their technology workforce. Instead of relying only on external recruitment, many organisations are now training employees with related technical skills to move into Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other advanced digital roles. The trend has been highlighted in the India GCC Tech Talent Landscape - Q1 FY27 Report, released by staffing solutions company Quess Corp. The report, based on the company's internal data and secondary research, shows that GCCs now prefer professionals who can quickly transition into specialised roles rather than hiring large numbers of new employees. According to the report, companies are helping employees move into new-age technology positions by upgrading their existing skills. Backend Developers are being trained to become Applied AI Engineers, while Data Scientists are moving into Machine Learning (ML) and Model Operations Engineering roles. Data Engineers are transitioning into AI Data Platform Engineering, Cloud Engineers into Platform Engineering, QA Automation Engineers into Autonomous QA Engineering, Cybersecurity Analysts into Cloud Security Engineering, and DevOps Engineers into DevSecOps Engineering. This shift reflects the growing demand for specialised expertise across technology teams. Also Read: The AI retreat: Why poor teamwork is derailing corporate tech The report also shows that Bengaluru continues to be India's largest GCC technology hiring hub, contributing the highest share of recruitment. However, Hyderabad is witnessing faster hiring growth, supported by increasing demand in cloud technologies, data engineering and fintech infrastructure. This indicates that hiring activity is gradually expanding across multiple Tier-1 cities instead of remaining concentrated only in Bengaluru. Professionals with four to twelve years of work experience accounted for nearly 56% of hiring demand during the first quarter of FY27, highlighting the preference for experienced professionals who can immediately handle advanced technology responsibilities. Overall hiring across GCCs remained stable during the quarter, recording a 5–6% quarter-on-quarter increase. Recruitment demand was mainly concentrated in Artificial Intelligence, Data and Analytics, Platform Engineering, Cloud and Infrastructure Engineering, and Cybersecurity. Among these, AI and Data and Analytics continued to be the fastest-growing capability areas, followed by Platform Engineering, Cloud and Infrastructure Engineering, and Cybersecurity and Risk Management. Also Read: NEET re-exam triggers Telegram ban in India; Centre cracks down on paper leak networks Despite strong hiring activity, the report points to a significant shortage of skilled professionals in these domains. The biggest talent gap was recorded in AI and Data and Analytics, where the supply-demand gap ranged between 36% and 40%, indicating that companies are struggling to find enough qualified professionals to meet growing demand. The report further notes that smaller GCCs are expanding their workforce at a faster pace than larger organisations. Centres with fewer than 500 employees recorded around 8% quarter-on-quarter hiring growth. However, larger organisations with 1,000 to 5,000 employees continued to account for the biggest share of recruitment, contributing approximately 40% of the total GCC hiring demand. Looking at industries, Professional Services and Consulting emerged as the fastest-growing GCC sector, recording about 9% quarter-on-quarter growth and contributing 10.3% of total hiring demand. The Technology and Product sector followed with nearly 7% growth, while the Manufacturing and Industrial segment remained the largest recruiter, accounting for 25.1% of overall hiring demand. The Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) sector contributed 20.9% of hiring demand. In contrast, Telecom and Networks was the only sector to witness a decline in recruitment during the quarter. Also Read: Bengaluru's Drishti blasts off: World's first OptoSAR eyes Earth 24/7 The report also points to a gradual geographical shift in hiring. Although Tier-1 cities continue to dominate technology recruitment, Tier-2 cities have increased their share of hiring demand to around 11-13%, indicating that companies are expanding their talent search beyond the country's largest metropolitan centres. Overall, the report suggests that India's GCC ecosystem is increasingly focusing on developing specialised AI and digital capabilities from within its existing workforce while continuing to expand hiring across multiple cities and technology domains.