Quess Corp has released a comprehensive new report titled ‘India’s GCC Tech Talent Landscape’ offering a detailed analysis of how Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India are evolving their talent strategies to keep pace with shifting technology priorities and global business imperatives.
As global enterprises double down on automation, AI, and next-gen infrastructure, India’s GCCs are seeing a clear pivot from headcount expansion to capability-centric hiring. According to the report, hiring volumes rose to 8-10% in Q1FY26, as against to a muted Q4FY25, signalling a shift back to strategic and skill-first recruitment.
Key findings of the report state:
BFSI, Manufacturing, and Tech Hardware, lead the GCC hiring growth; hospitality, real estate and infrastructure sees decline
In Q1FY26, India’s GCC sector saw a strategic hiring shift, with high-growth verticals like BFSI, Manufacturing, Automotive & Energy, and Technology & Hardware driving demand. BFSI and Manufacturing sectors each saw a +2% share increase, reaching 20% and 16% respectively, while Technology & Hardware grew by +1% to 13%, fuelled by investments in AI, automation, and digital modernisation. In contrast, traditional sectors like Hospitality, Travel & Logistics, Construction & Engineering, and Healthcare & Pharma witnessed a dip in hiring share. Demand in BFSI was led by functions such as AI-led credit risk, embedded finance, cybersecurity, and digital lending. In Manufacturing and Automotive, hiring was fuelled by initiatives around smart factories, industrial IoT, EV platforms, and predictive maintenance. Similarly, Technology & Hardware showed robust demand for cloud engineering, chip design, and IoT hardware development.
AI, Platform Engineering see talent gaps as high as 42%; traditional IT roles stabilise
In Q1FY26, India’s GCCs continued to face significant talent shortages in high-impact digital roles, particularly in AI, data, and platform engineering. AI, Data & Analytics recorded the steepest supply gap at 42%, with critical demand for skills in Generative AI, LLMs, and MLOps. Platform Engineering followed closely with a 38% gap, as organisations sought DevOps, Kubernetes, and multi-cloud integration expertise to modernise infrastructure. Cloud and Infrastructure Engineering showed a moderate gap of 25-27%. Cybersecurity and software engineering also faced noticeable pressures, with 15-22% gaps due to increasing needs for Zero Trust architecture, mobile development, and DevOps pipelines. In contrast, traditional domains like ERP, ITSM, and digital operations witnessed stable supply, reflecting a market shift away from legacy IT functions toward next-gen digital capabilities.
Tier-2 Cities clock faster growth but struggle with talent depth; Tier-1 remains core for innovation roles
In Q1FY26, Tier-1 cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune continued to anchor GCC hiring, led by specialisation in AI, cloud, and automotive tech respectively. Bengaluru retained the top spot with a 29% share of demand, while Pune (+10.6% QoQ) and Chennai (+9.4% QoQ) showed faster growth driven by ERP and R&D roles. Meanwhile, Tier-2 cities such as Coimbatore (+58%), Kochi (+47%), and Ahmedabad (+42%) posted significantly higher growth rates. However, due to limited mid-senior talent availability, nearly 50% of complex roles in these cities are being redirected back to Tier-1 hubs, indicating a readiness gap despite promising momentum. The recalibrated hiring pattern suggests that Tier-1 cities will continue to house high-priority, innovation-led mandates, while Tier-2 hubs will scale rapidly for cost-sensitive, modular, or support-driven roles
Premium tech roles see stabilised salaries; Tier-2 yet to close pay gap In Q1FY26, compensation trends across India’s GCC ecosystem showed signs of stabilisation, with salary growth in premium tech roles moderating to 3-5% quarter-on-quarter. High-scarcity positions such as Zero Trust Security Engineers, AI Observability experts, and FinOps Specialists continued to command top-tier packages, especially in Tier-1 cities like Bengaluru, where P75 offers for niche roles went towards 60 lakhs range. Tier-2 cities, however, continue to face a talent maturity gap, with limited availability in advanced AI and cybersecurity roles, keeping salaries comparatively lower. Mid-premium roles such as senior SDETs, cloud-native developers, and data engineers also saw steady 3-4% increases, consolidating in the ₹30-38 lakh range. The compensation plateau signals a maturing market that increasingly values functional complexity and digital depth over volume.
Kapil Joshi, CEO – IT Staffing, Quess Corp said, “India’s GCC landscape is undergoing a structural shift, one that prioritises capability over sheer scale. Q1FY26 marked a steady return to growth, with hiring volumes rising by 8%-10% QoQ after a muted Q4FY25. This growth was driven by hiring in Tier-2 cities & high-impact sectors like BFSI, Manufacturing, and Tech Hardware. Deep-tech roles like AI, data science, and platform engineering face over 40% talent shortfalls, slowing hiring cycles and limiting team scalability. The sustained demand for niche skills in AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and data engineering reflects a market shift, from just hiring talent to enabling transformation. It’s no longer about filling positions, but about building the workforce that powers enterprise innovation and growth.”
The report underscores a turning point for India’s GCC ecosystem, one where talent quality, not quantity, will shape long-term value.
