India’s GCC ecosystem is entering its most competitive phase yet. A new whitepaper released by SPAG FINN Partners, The Road Ahead for GCCs in India: The Glocal Approach, shows that India’s GCC landscape is being reshaped by rising attrition, aggressive GCC-to-GCC hiring, premium salary spikes for AI/ML skills, and an expanding innovation mandate. The report combines data and leadership insights from prominent GCC leaders across sectors.
India hosts over 1,700 GCCs and 2,975 centres, generating USD 64.9 billion and employing 1.9 million people, with revenues projected to hit USD 100 billion by 2030. Despite rising global competition, India’s scale and maturity remain unmatched: its GCC ecosystem dwarfs Mexico’s USD 5.29 billion market and outpaces the early-stage hubs in Vietnam and the Philippines. With 5.4 million tech professionals and a 92 percent AI adoption rate, India continues to offer one of the world’s deepest and most future-ready talent pools.
Key findings from the whitepaper
1. Talent pressure reaches a historic peak
Attrition across India’s GCCs stands at 15%–20%, rising even higher in AI, ML, and digital transformation roles, while 60% of all hiring now comes from other GCCs. Niche tech talent commands 30%–50% salary premiums, driven by intense demand. Despite this pressure, India remains advantaged with 5.4 million technology professionals and a powerful demographic edge, with 65% of its population under 35.
2. India accelerates as the global AI powerhouse
India is emerging as a global AI leader, with 92% of knowledge workers using generative AI compared to the 75% global average, and 78% of GCCs already investing in GenAI upskilling.
3. GCC roles shift from support to strategy
Nearly 90 percent of GCCs in India now operate as multi-functional hubs, with half advancing into full transformation and portfolio centres. ER&D-focused GCCs are expanding 1.3 times faster than the overall market, while women in leadership have grown at an exceptional 40 percent CAGR over the past five years.
4. Cost advantage
India delivers 40% lower operational costs compared to Europe with emerging hubs in tier2,3 cities such as Coimbatore, Jaipur, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, and Chandigarh.
India’s GCC problem
Despite being the world’s largest GCC hub, India faces three pressing challenges:
– Rising attrition and internal poaching
GCCs are hiring from one another at an unprecedented 60% rate, inflating compensation expectations and accelerating churn.
– AI/ML talent shortage
AI talent demand is outpacing supply, pushing salary premiums up by 30–50% for specialised roles.
– Weak leadership visibility
Only 25–30% of GCCs have hired PR or communications partners to build leadership narratives and employer brands, despite intense competition for talent.
Aman Gupta, Managing Partner, SPAG FINN Partners said, “GCCs in India have reached a point where operational excellence alone is not enough. Leaders need to step forward, own their narrative, and build brands that reflect ambition and impact. When leadership becomes visible and intentional, talent follows.” The path to identity and influence for GCC leaders starts with a clear, compelling employer brand.
For GCC leaders in India, this means sharpening their EVP around purpose, innovation, and global leadership, while investing visibly in AI/ML, cloud, and cybersecurity to close talent gaps. Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities offer important expansion advantages, but retention is just as critical. In a crowded market, a strong employer brand and clear leadership narrative will be key differentiators.
The Glocal Imperative: A five-pillar blueprint for GCC leadership
The whitepaper outlines a leadership-ready framework to help GCCs build visibility and influence in India:
– Cultural intelligence
– The AI experience
– Sustainability as core value
– Employee experience as differentiator
– Global partnerships & co-innovation
Shivani Gupta, Managing Partner, SPAG FINN Partners, said, “The next decade of GCC growth in India will be defined by purpose-driven leadership, talent empowerment, and authentic storytelling. Young professionals today look for leaders whose values, vision, and impact they can trust. As GCCs expand into AI, cybersecurity, cloud engineering, product development, and sustainability-driven innovation, the ability to communicate a clear employee value proposition becomes a strategic priority.”