India’s global capability centre (GCC) ecosystem is projected to rise from around 1,800 in FY25 to around 2,400 by FY30, according to a report released by TeamLease Digital and TeamLease RegTech. The sector’s economic value could grow from about $70 billion to more than $110 billion during the same period, and it is expected to account for 2% of the country’s GDP, it added.
Employment is set to rise alongside this expansion. GCCs currently employ around 1.9 million professionals in India. That number is expected to increase to about 2.8 million by FY30 as multinational firms deepen their technology, engineering and digital operations in the country. The expansion is intensifying competition for specialised talent. Roles in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing and data engineering are commanding significant pay premiums. According to the report, compensation in high-demand digital roles has been rising by 18-22%.
Generative AI roles are among the fastest growing in terms of pay. Salaries can range from about `12 lakh annually for professionals with up to three years of experience to nearly `60 lakh for senior specialists. Cybersecurity and data engineering roles are also seeing steady salary increases as enterprises strengthen digital infrastructure and compliance frameworks.
Freshers are expected to form a meaningful share of future hiring. Entry-level hires could account for roughly 14-22% of new recruitment by FY30. However, professionals with two to eight years of experience are likely to remain the core of the GCC workforce.
Among freshers too, demand is the strongest in areas such as AI, cloud computing, data analytics, quality assurance and product engineering. Companies are also investing more in skilling programmes to build capabilities in emerging technologies.
While Tier-1 cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Mumbai and the National Capital Region continue to host most GCCs, expansion is gradually spreading to smaller cities. Locations such as Coimbatore, Kochi, Mysuru, Jaipur, Indore and Bhubaneswar together host more than 200 centres.
These Tier-2 and Tier-3 locations offer operating costs that are 20-30% lower than Tier-1 cities. They also provide access to new talent pools and typically see lower attrition, making them increasingly attractive for global firms expanding their India presence.