65% of New GCC Roles in India Now Require AI Skills, ANSR Report Finds

The story in brief

India's Global Capability Centre (GCC) hiring is shifting decisively towards artificial intelligence skills. A report by ANSR, covered by the Financial Express on 21 October 2026, finds that nearly 65% of new GCC roles created in 2026 require AI expertise. The analysis draws on more than 5,000 active job openings and over 20,000 roles filled during the past year. Demand for AI and data professionals has grown by approximately 45% year over year, and GCC hiring overall grew roughly 12–15% in the first half of 2026 — outpacing the broader IT and IT-enabled services sector.

What exactly happened?

ANSR, a firm that helps multinational companies set up and run GCCs in India, released its "Talent Trends in GCCs in India" report on 24 September 2026, with renewed coverage this week. The report is based on an analysis of more than 5,000 live open roles and over 20,000 hiring patterns tracked over the past year.

Key verified findings:

• Nearly 65% of new GCC roles created in 2026 require AI skills.
• Demand for AI and data talent rose approximately 45% year over year.
• GCC hiring grew about 12–15% year over year in the first half of 2026, ahead of the IT/ITeS sector.
• Postings for forward-deployed engineering and AI-engineering roles increased by roughly 1,000% over the past twelve months.
• Hiring is concentrated among mid-career professionals: median experience of six years, with about 62% of hiring among candidates with three to eight years of experience.
• The report's salary analysis lists median annual pay for lead AI/ML engineers between $150,000 and $200,000, compared with $25,000 to $40,000 for entry-level roles.

Background and context

A Global Capability Centre is an offshore unit set up by a multinational company to handle technology, business processes or product work. India hosts more than 1,900 GCCs employing over two million professionals. Historically, GCC growth was driven by scale — expanding teams to deliver operations and support. The ANSR findings describe a shift from headcount to capability: companies now want specialised teams that build AI-powered products, work with structured and unstructured data, and contribute to global business decisions.

Why is this happening now?

The report points to employers embedding AI across the full development lifecycle rather than confining it to dedicated machine-learning teams. Two talent profiles are driving the shift: the "AI-native engineer", who builds software with AI integrated throughout, and the "forward-deployed engineer", a hybrid of engineering, consulting and business skills. This is consistent with enterprises moving AI projects from pilots into production, which requires people who can apply AI inside existing business functions.

Why does it matter?

AI skills are becoming relevant beyond dedicated AI roles. Software engineers, product managers, finance professionals and operations teams are increasingly expected to use AI tools and automation in their existing jobs. For India's technology labour market, the report signals where multinational hiring budgets are moving — though it is worth noting the findings describe job postings and hiring patterns, not guaranteed future vacancies, and the strongest demand is for candidates with several years of experience.

What it means for students and professionals

Learning AI concepts alone may not be enough. Candidates should demonstrate how they apply AI to practical problems, work with relevant tools, and explain the results. Because 62% of GCC hiring targets professionals with three to eight years of experience, freshers should treat AI capability as a differentiator on top of strong fundamentals rather than a shortcut past them.

Practical takeaways

• Build projects that combine AI skills with a real-world domain problem, and document the business value clearly.
• Learn to work with structured and unstructured data, not just prompts.
• Practise explaining AI project outcomes in business terms — this is what GCC interviews increasingly test.
• Track emerging roles such as forward-deployed engineer and AI-native engineer to understand where job descriptions are heading.

What happens next?

ANSR's report includes salary benchmarks for ten in-demand technology roles and maps emerging-skill talent across 19 Indian cities, so further coverage of its findings is likely. No new edition or follow-up timeline has been announced.