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India’s GCCs Cut Jobs as AI Reshapes Hiring Strategies
Global capability centres, or GCCs, are large offices in India that do important work for companies around the world.
These centres may eliminate between 5,000 and 30,000 jobs this year.
Experts disagree about the exact number of jobs affected.
Some routine tasks are increasingly being handled by artificial intelligence and automation.
This means companies may need fewer people for certain kinds of work.
However, AI exposure does not automatically mean that all those jobs will disappear.
GCCs are also hiring and developing people with advanced technical skills.
Indian centres are taking on more important work in software, engineering and AI.
Their importance is increasingly being measured by the complexity of their work rather than by how many people they employ.
Industry estimates suggest 5,000 to 30,000 GCC roles in India may be eliminated this year.
India has more than 2,100 global capability centres employing approximately 2.4 million to 2.5 million professionals.
Estimates differ sharply, with Pareekh Jain citing 25,000 to 30,000 cuts and Sameer Dhanrajani estimating 4,000 to 5,000.
Reported reductions include about 1,500 roles at Visa and around 200 at PayPal, while ServiceNow’s cuts were undisclosed.
GCCs are reducing routine work while taking on more complex mandates in AI, engineering, product development and technology innovation.
- Who
- India’s global capability centres, their employees and industry experts including Pareekh Jain and Sameer Dhanrajani.
- What
- GCCs are reducing some roles while restructuring work and hiring around artificial intelligence, automation and advanced technical skills.
- Where
- India’s global capability centre sector.
- When
- This year, according to the report.
- Why
- Organisations are seeking AI-driven productivity gains and redesigning workflows, while assigning Indian centres more complex strategic work.
Higher Estimate
Lower Estimate
Scale of job reductions
Higher Estimate
Pareekh Jain, CEO of EIIRTrend, estimated that GCCs may have eliminated 25,000 to 30,000 jobs this year.
Lower Estimate
Sameer Dhanrajani, CEO of 3AI, estimated a more conservative 4,000 to 5,000 affected roles.
Meaning of AI exposure
Higher Estimate
The reported 55% exposure to potential AI displacement indicates that a substantial share of GCC work could be affected by automation.
Lower Estimate
Industry experts cautioned that AI exposure does not automatically translate into equivalent job losses, because organisations may restructure roles and change skill requirements instead.
GCC growth model
Higher Estimate
Workforce reductions suggest that GCC growth is moving away from large-scale recruitment and headcount expansion.
Lower Estimate
The centres’ strategic importance may still be increasing as they take on complex mandates in AI, engineering, product development and technology innovation.
Key facts
- Potential roles eliminated
- Estimated at 5,000 to 30,000 this year
- GCC presence in India
- More than 2,100 centres
- GCC employment
- Approximately 2.4 million to 2.5 million professionals
- Higher layoff estimate
- Pareekh Jain estimated 25,000 to 30,000 eliminated jobs
- Lower layoff estimate
- Sameer Dhanrajani estimated 4,000 to 5,000 affected roles
- Reported company cuts
- Approximately 1,500 roles at Visa and around 200 at PayPal
- AI-exposed work
- The report said 55% of overall work portfolios have some potential AI-displacement exposure
Sources
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