India’s Global Capability Centres are projected to add 1 to 1.4 million net jobs by 2031, taking the segment’s workforce from 2.3 million today to between 3.3 million and 3.7 million, according to a new Embark report.
The report, titled India GCCs in the AI Era: Implications for Workforce Growth and Office Demand, is based on a survey of 100 India GCC leaders, executive interviews and market data. It also pegs incremental office demand at 150 to 170 million square feet by 2031, with Bengaluru and Hyderabad currently accounting for 67% of Tier 1 GCC leasing. About 90% of new GCC setups are expected in Tier 1 cities.
“India’s opportunity is to turn AI adoption into measurable business value, driving demand for specialist talent and supporting continued workforce and office growth through 2031,” said Aravind Maiya, CEO and Co-founder, Embark.
On AI, 92% of surveyed leaders reported moving beyond selective adoption, but productivity gains remain below 15%. The report flags that automation, slower backfilling and role consolidation could moderate demand for routine roles by 0.4 to 0.5 million. Expansion of existing mandates plus new GCC setups (1.2 to 1.5 million roles) and AI-led role creation (around 0.3 million) are expected to more than offset this.
Existing GCCs will account for around 80% of incremental workforce additions. About 71% of leaders expect their centres to take on broader functional ownership, while 15% anticipate global leadership roles shifting to India. India’s AI-specialist talent pool within GCCs is projected to reach 0.8 to 0.9 million by 2031.
The pipeline for new entrants is substantial. Embark estimates that about 3,144 viable Global 5000 companies have yet to set up an India GCC, implying 590 to 640 new setups by 2031. State-level policies from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh are expected to shape where this growth lands.
