India's GCC hiring surge shows 48 pc plan to expand workforce in FY26

New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) India's Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are preparing for a talent expansion in 2025, with 48 per cent of GCCs planning to increase their workforce beyond 2024 levels, a report said on Thursday.

According to the report, early-career lateral talent (1–5 years) remains the primary hiring focus for GCCs, as they balance cost, capability, and adaptability.

"Hiring sentiment remains strong for FY26 with 48 per cent of GCCs expected to increase hiring, while 19 per cent will maintain similar hiring levels seen in FY24," said Taggd, a recruitment firm, in a joint report with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and JLL India.

GCCs are at the centre point in India’s growth story this year. For leaders building or scaling GCCs here, India’s unique context demands a strategic, location-aware, and talent-centric approach that goes beyond global playbooks,” said Devashish Sharma, CEO, Taggd.

Talent churn is rising, with nearly 40 per cent of all hiring in 2025 expected to be replacement hires, signalling a growing challenge in talent retention across India’s GCCs, the report stated.

Average tenure expectations have decreased significantly, with Gen Z professionals preferring not to remain in the same role for more than 18-24 months due to reasons such as limited career advancement and role stagnation.

"Nearly 9 in 10 GCCs expect up to 50 per cent of their hiring in FY26, signalling a growing shift toward building from within," the report said.

Growth of GCCs in India continues to reshape the commercial landscape. Organisations are adopting distributed workforce strategies, leading to a significant shift in their real estate needs, said Ajit Kumar, Managing Director – Work Dynamics Accounts, West Asia at JLL India.

GCCs leased a record 28 million square feet of office space in 2024, with activity continuing strong in early 2025.

According to the report, 78 per cent of hiring is expected to be for hybrid roles. The flex segment is the second biggest occupier segment in the country in terms of annual leasing activity, driven strongly by enterprise demand for ‘managed space’ solutions.

--IANS

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