India’s GCCs Could Add 1.4 Million Jobs By 2031, But AI Productivity Gains Lag

The report, India GCCs in the AI Era, estimates that the workforce could grow from 2.3 million to 3.3 to 3.7 million by 2031. However, the projected growth will depend on companies expanding existing operations, setting up new centres and creating specialised roles, while automation reduces demand for some routine jobs. The report draws on a survey of 100 GCC leaders, executive interviews and market data.

It says 92% of surveyed leaders have moved beyond selective AI adoption, but realised productivity gains remain below 15%. This suggests that wider AI deployment has yet to translate into comparable productivity improvements. Hiring Shifts Towards Specialised Skills The employment outlook is also changing.

Demand is moving towards AI, data science, cloud, cybersecurity and product engineering, while companies are becoming more selective about entry-level hiring and routine tasks. This raises questions about how GCCs will absorb early-career workers as automation expands. The report estimates that automation, slower replacement hiring and role consolidation could moderate demand by 400,000–500,000 jobs by 2031.

It projects that AI-led roles could add around 300,000 jobs, alongside growth from expanded mandates and new centres. The report also expects India’s AI specialist talent pool to reach 800,000–900,000 by 2031. That outcome will depend partly on whether employers can find workers with the required skills and whether training systems can keep pace with changing demand.

Office Demand Expected to Grow Embark projects that GCCs will generate an additional 150 to 170 million square feet of office demand by 2031. Bengaluru and Hyderabad currently account for 67% of GCC leasing in Tier 1 cities, and the report expects around 90% of new centres to be established in Tier 1 locations. The property forecast reflects the sector’s continued expansion, but it remains a projection rather than a confirmed pipeline of leases.

Actual demand will depend on hiring, the pace of new centre launches and how hybrid work and AI reshape office requirements. Embark’s business in establishing and expanding GCCs gives it a direct commercial interest in the sector’s growth. Its forecasts should therefore be read as estimates, alongside broader employment and commercial real estate data, rather than as guaranteed outcomes.