AI and Data Professionals Drive 30% of GCC Tech Hiring as Talent Shortage Intensifies

AI and Data Specialists Command Growing Share of GCC Tech Hiring

Global Capability Centres operating in India are directing an increasingly larger portion of their technology recruitment toward AI and data specialists, cybersecurity professionals, and related advanced roles. According to the India GCC Tech Talent Landscape - Q2 FY27 Report by Quess Corp, AI data and cybersecurity roles represented 30.3% of GCC tech hiring demand during the July-September 2026 quarter, marking a significant jump from 25.8% in the preceding quarter—a gain of 4.5 percentage points1

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. This specialized talent surge reflects how centres are prioritizing capabilities that support AI deployment, data management, and enterprise system security even as overall hiring moderates.

Demand for AI, data and analytics professionals grew approximately 14% quarter-on-quarter, while cybersecurity and risk management roles increased approximately 12%2

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. Both categories expanded despite overall GCC tech hiring demand declining 3.5%, demonstrating continued investment in specialist capabilities within more selective workforce plans. The moderation aligns with cyclical hiring patterns of global enterprises, where recruitment typically peaks early in the calendar year and slows toward year-end.

Severe Talent Supply Gap Threatens Growth Plans

The Quess Corp report estimates a talent supply gap of 38-42% in AI, data and analytics, and 30-35% in cybersecurity and risk management1

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. This talent shortage presents a critical challenge as centres expand their responsibilities and deepen AI requirements across sectors. Advanced skill hiring remains heavily concentrated, with approximately 87-88% located in tier 1 cities1

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To address these shortages, the report identifies pathways through transitions from adjacent roles. Data scientists can move into model operations, data engineers into applied data science applications, and cybersecurity analysts into cloud security positions1

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. Structured reskilling and internal mobility can complement external recruitment as AI requirements deepen. "Companies will need to combine specialist hiring with reskilling and internal mobility. This will help them build the capabilities needed to support their growing role in global operations," said Kapil Joshi, CEO - IT Staffing at Quess Corp2

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AI Skills Gain Ground Across All Industry Segments

Technology and product GCCs recorded the highest share of postings requiring GenAI skills at approximately 32%2

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. Pharma and healthcare saw a five-percentage-point increase to approximately 23%, while professional services and consulting rose four percentage points to approximately 22%2

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. Notably, sectors experiencing declining overall hiring demand still increased their proportion of AI-focused postings. Telecom and networks, manufacturing and industrial, and BFSI recorded quarter-on-quarter declines in overall tech hiring demand of approximately 24%, 9% and 8% respectively, yet each saw increases in postings seeking AI and GenAI skills2

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Demand within advanced skill clusters points toward practical AI deployment. Applied data science and model operations grew approximately 19%, while cloud security and AI-infused architecture increased approximately 21%2

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. These roles support the deployment, monitoring and management of AI models alongside secure cloud and enterprise infrastructure, indicating that centres are moving beyond experimentation toward operational AI systems.

Tier-2 Cities Show Strong Growth Led by Coimbatore

Coimbatore stood out with approximately 30% quarter-on-quarter growth in GCC tech hiring demand, helping drive overall tier-2 growth of approximately 13%, compared with 8-10% in Q1 FY271

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. Among tier 1 cities, Pune was the only market to grow, recording a modest 2% increase, while all other metros saw demand decline1

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. Hyderabad and Mumbai recorded the steepest declines among metros, at approximately 10% and 9% respectively1

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Despite tier-2 momentum, tier 1 cities continued to account for approximately 84-86% of total GCC hiring demand1

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. The report estimates India's active GCC base at 2,250-2,400 centres, up 5-6% quarter-on-quarter, as new centres continued to open despite softer hiring demand3

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. India's GCC workforce is projected to reach 2.7-2.8 million by 20302

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, suggesting sustained expansion despite current hiring moderation. Watch for how centres balance geographic diversification with the concentration of advanced skill hiring in established metros, and whether reskilling initiatives can meaningfully close the widening talent gap before it constrains AI deployment timelines.