Mid-market global capability centres (GCCs) are expected to generate 40,000 new jobs in India by the end of 2026, expanding their total workforce to over 260,000, according to data from talent solutions firm ANSR shared with the Economic Times. Around 120 new mid-sized GCCs are anticipated during this period, largely across the software, banking, finance and accounting, insurance, and retail sectors. These centres are being established by global firms with annual revenues between $300 million and $2 billion. Smitha Hemmigae, managing director at ANSR, said recruitment will focus on key talent hubs including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Gurugram. In-demand roles include AI/ML engineering, data analytics, cloud engineering, cybersecurity, full-stack development, product management, and solution architecture. There is also demand for non-technical skills in finance and accounting, supply chain, procurement and digital marketing. “Their catchment pool of talent is from GCCs, startups, product companies and the top 8–10 percent of the service provider landscape, who could become a site leader for a mid-sized company,” Hemmigae said, quoted by ET. Operating with tighter budgets than larger multinationals, mid-market GCCs are unlikely to compete for talent from major tech giants in India. Instead, they focus on cost-efficiency and fast market entry, especially for digital transformation initiatives. Between 2019 and 2024, mid-market GCCs saw a 46 percent increase in talent, compared to 34 percent in non-mid-market GCCs, ANSR data shows. According to consulting firm Zinnov, hiring in this segment is growing at an annual rate of 10 to 12 percent, around 1 to 2 percentage points above the overall GCC industry average. The segment currently employs over 220,000 professionals and is seen as a critical driver of the next phase of GCC expansion in India. Despite their smaller scale, these centres are developing into highly specialised talent hubs, recruiting advanced technical and functional capabilities more aggressively than many large enterprises.
