GCCs Overtake IT Services in Net Tech Hiring
A tectonic shift is underway in India's tech hiring: Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are now adding more net employees than traditional IT services firms. In FY26, GCCs added ~2,00,000 net employees versus ~110,000 in IT services, according to TeamLease Digital. Xpheno data confirms GCCs have overtaken IT services in net annual additions over the last three fiscals. This is driven by GCCs' evolution from back-office support to strategic roles in AI, product engineering, and cybersecurity. However, the absorption is not uniform: mid-career and senior specialists with AI fluency are in high demand, while those with legacy skills struggle. GCCs are also paying a premium—freshers at Rs 5.5 lakh CTC versus Rs 4.5 lakh in IT services—and offering 20-30% higher lateral wages. Yet, the scale of IT services hiring remains larger overall, with IT services adding over 970,000 net headcounts in five years versus GCCs' 650,000. Key signal: In FY26, GCCs added around 2,00,000 net employees versus roughly 110,000 in IT services, with GCCs now accounting for 27% of India's IT hiring demand, up from 15% in 2024. For hiring leaders, this matters because for CHROs and TA leaders, this signals a permanent rebalancing of India's tech talent market. GCCs are becoming the primary growth engine for net new jobs, especially in AI and specialized roles, while IT services firms are more restrained. This affects talent strategy: compensation benchmarks, skill requirements, and hiring volumes differ significantly between the two. The talent released from IT services may not automatically fit GCC needs, as the demand is for AI-fluent, domain-expert professionals. Leaders must reassess where to source talent, how to price roles, and how to upskill existing workforces to remain relevant in a market where GCCs are setting the premium. Teksands view: The data is clear: GCCs are now the primary net hirers in Indian tech, but they're not absorbing the masses. They're cherry-picking AI-ready, specialized talent. The 23% lateral movement from IT services to GCCs masks a growing mismatch: what IT services sheds isn't what GCCs buy. For hiring leaders, this means the war for AI talent is intensifying, and GCCs are willing to pay a 20-30% premium. If you're not investing in visible AI upskilling, you're not just falling behind—you're becoming invisible to the fastest-growing segment of the market.
Key fact
In FY26, GCCs added around 2,00,000 net employees versus roughly 110,000 in IT services, with GCCs now accounting for 27% of India's IT hiring demand, up from 15% in 2024.
Why it matters
For CHROs and TA leaders, this signals a permanent rebalancing of India's tech talent market. GCCs are becoming the primary growth engine for net new jobs, especially in AI and specialized roles, while IT services firms are more restrained. This affects talent strategy: compensation benchmarks, skill requirements, and hiring volumes differ significantly between the two. The talent released from IT services may not automatically fit GCC needs, as the demand is for AI-fluent, domain-expert professionals. Leaders must reassess where to source talent, how to price roles, and how to upskill existing workforces to remain relevant in a market where GCCs are setting the premium.
The Teksands point of view
The data is clear: GCCs are now the primary net hirers in Indian tech, but they're not absorbing the masses. They're cherry-picking AI-ready, specialized talent. The 23% lateral movement from IT services to GCCs masks a growing mismatch: what IT services sheds isn't what GCCs buy. For hiring leaders, this means the war for AI talent is intensifying, and GCCs are willing to pay a 20-30% premium. If you're not investing in visible AI upskilling, you're not just falling behind—you're becoming invisible to the fastest-growing segment of the market.
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