Archive · 30 Sep 2026
AI Reshapes India’s GCC Hiring as Up to 30,000 Roles Go
Global capability centres are large offices in India that do work for companies around the world.
Some of these centres may eliminate thousands of jobs this year.
Experts disagree about the exact number, with estimates ranging from 5,000 to 30,000 roles.
PayPal, Visa, ServiceNow and other companies have reported or been linked to cuts, although the figures differ between reports.
Artificial intelligence can help complete some routine tasks more quickly.
This does not mean that every job exposed to AI will disappear.
Instead, companies are changing jobs and seeking people with stronger technical and business skills.
Indian GCCs may have fewer workers in some areas while being trusted with more important work.
Industry estimates suggest 5,000 to 30,000 GCC roles in India could be eliminated this year.
India has more than 2,100 GCCs 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 between 200 and 600 roles at PayPal, while ServiceNow’s cuts were undisclosed.
GCCs are reducing routine work while taking on more complex responsibilities in AI, engineering, product development and technology innovation.
- Who
- India’s global capability centres, their employees, parent companies and industry experts including Pareekh Jain, Sameer Dhanrajani, Sukanya Roy and Snehal Kulkarni.
- What
- GCCs are reducing some roles and redesigning work while hiring for advanced skills related to AI, engineering, product development and technology.
- When
- This year, according to the reports.
- Where
- India’s global capability centre sector.
- Why
- Companies are pursuing AI-driven productivity, improving margins, redirecting capital toward AI infrastructure and assigning Indian centres more complex responsibilities.
Workforce Reduction Concern
Strategic Expansion View
Scale of job losses
Workforce Reduction Concern
Pareekh Jain estimated that GCCs may have eliminated 25,000 to 30,000 jobs this year.
Strategic Expansion View
Sameer Dhanrajani estimated a lower total of 4,000 to 5,000 affected roles.
Meaning of AI exposure
Workforce Reduction Concern
The reported 55% exposure to potential AI displacement indicates that a substantial share of GCC work could be affected by automation.
Strategic Expansion View
Experts cautioned that AI exposure does not mean an equivalent number of jobs will disappear because tasks and roles can be redesigned.
Future of the GCC model
Workforce Reduction Concern
Cuts, leaner teams and weaker demand for some existing skills suggest that workforce expansion is slowing in parts of the sector.
Strategic Expansion View
GCCs are taking on more strategic responsibilities, and reductions do not necessarily represent a retreat from the model.
- Potential roles eliminated
- Estimated at 5,000 to 30,000 in India this year
- GCC presence in India
- More than 2,100 centres
- GCC employment
- Approximately 2.4 million to 2.5 million professionals
- Higher reduction estimate
- Pareekh Jain estimated 25,000 to 30,000 eliminated jobs
- Lower reduction estimate
- Sameer Dhanrajani estimated 4,000 to 5,000 affected roles
- Reported company cuts
- About 1,500 roles at Visa and between 200 and 600 roles at PayPal; ServiceNow’s cuts were undisclosed
- Portfolio figures
- 17.7% of work is classified as commodity-based, 38.1% as complex, and 55% has some AI-displacement exposure
