In its “Workforce 2.0 Reset – India’s GCCs Go AI-Native” report, NLB Services highlighted how emerging technology is reshaping India’s Global Capability Centre (GCC) landscape and bringing a paradigm workforce shift.
According to the report, more than 58% of GCCs are moving beyond AI pilots. The workforce is projected to reach 3.46 million by 2030, adding 1.3 million new job roles. The report also estimates a significant impact in 2026 itself, indicating an 11% increase in jobs, thereby expanding personnel to 2.4 million in the sector.
NLB Services shared how, in 2025, nearly 70% of GCCs are already investing in Generative AI (GenAI), while over 60% will set up dedicated AI safety and governance teams by 2026. A remarkable 75% aim to embed GenAI in daily operations within the next year. These investments, as per the report, are not only driving efficiency but also reconfiguring roles. For instance, 27% of mid-level and 25% of junior tech roles are being redesigned as AI copilots and automation tools become mainstream.
“India is at a critical intersection in its GCC 4.0 journey, building a unique & unmatched synergy of scale, skill and talent. Today, GCCs are no longer just exploring AI – rather, many have or are moving towards deployment. While AI thrust in this sector was expected, this year has seen a stronger drive for implementation,” said Mr. Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services.
In the report, NLB Services talked about how, as AI is becoming mainstream, entirely new roles are emerging across GCCs, including Cybersecurity & AI Governance Architects (29%), Prompt Engineers (26%), GenAI Product Owners (22%), and AI Policy & risk strategists (21%), symbolizing India’s shift from execution to accountability and innovation-led leadership.
Simultaneously, NLB Services stated that legacy roles such as L1 IT Support (75%), Legacy Application Development (74%), Manual QA (72%), and On-Prem Infrastructure Management (67%) are being phased out as GCCs modernise towards AI-native, product-oriented teams.
The reports explained that, with AI deployment further maturing, India’s GCC map is undergoing a major geographic shift, and tier II and III are gaining prominence. GCCs are inclining towards these belts to capitalise on the proposition of 10–12% lower attrition rates, 30–50% lower office costs, and 20–35% talent cost advantages compared to Tier-1 metros.
“By 2030, nearly 39% of the GCC workforce will operate from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, enabling our shift from metro-focused to a more distributed workforce model,” said Mr Varun Sachdeva, SVP & APAC Head, NLB Services, adding, “The new synergy across Tier II/III cities will create 0.715 M net new GCC jobs by 2030.”
The report highlighted how India’s GCC ecosystem has also reached a defining point — where leadership readiness for AI is now the true differentiator. Hyderabad and Bengaluru lead this shift, with 70% and 69% of GCCs showing strong AI leadership maturity in both vision and budget ownership. These hubs aren’t just adopters but are instead shaping the global playbook for scaling AI.
“To enable the workforce to adapt to this workforce reset, 80% of GCCs are already funding continuous learning and internal mobility programs, enabling faster, flatter, and more agile decision cycles. The top upskilling models are focused on role-specific reskilling journeys or micro-credentials (18%), corporate academies and focused programs (17%), and embedding AI skills into career frameworks (16%). Moreover, 38% of GCCs are also closing GenAI skill gaps by hiring external talent, while 22% are building in-house academies”, revealed Mr Abhilash Raghavan, Chief Business Officer – GCC Vertical, NLB Services.
This leadership momentum, NLB Services emphasised, is mirrored across industries where AI has become central to competitiveness. Telecom & Internet Services (70%) and BFSI & Fintech (69%) lead in strategic clarity, while Software & Consulting (65%) and Media & Gaming (67%) show robust budget commitment. The company explained that this marks a decisive shift, highlighting that India’s digital-first enterprises aren’t experimenting with AI anymore; they’re institutionalising it as a leadership and governance discipline.
“Workforce 2.0 Reset – India’s GCC Go AI-Native” report also signals that AI governance is rapidly institutionalising across India’s GCCs. 33% have established central AI committees or CoEs, while 29% manage oversight through business units under audit and compliance frameworks. Delhi/NCR (39%) and Bengaluru (37%) lead with centralised governance models, reflecting higher maturity, while Hyderabad (35%) and Mumbai (34%) favour decentralised oversight, signalling a growing push for flexibility and autonomy.
Progressive state policies are accelerating India’s GCC expansion, with NLB Services added, driven by strong digital infrastructure, talent pipelines, and AI-focused incentives. These frameworks, reinforced by rising STEM talent in non-metro cities, are transforming regional hubs into future-ready innovation corridors.
As GCCs move from pilots to full-scale AI-driven operations, the next five years will cement India’s position as the global hub for AI engineering, analytics, and governance excellence — showcasing a model that blends innovation, talent, and responsible growth, the report concluded.
