India’s GCCs May Add Up To 1.4 Mn Jobs By 2031: Embark Report

India’s GCCs could grow from around 2.3 Mn employees today to 3.3–3.7 Mn by 2031. The expansion could add 1–1.4 Mn net jobs and generate demand for 150–170 Mn sq. ft. of additional office space, according to a new report by Embark.

Titled India GCCs in the AI Era: Implications for Workforce Growth and Office Demand, Embark’s latest report examines how AI could reshape workforce requirements, business mandates and office planning. It expects AI-driven productivity gains to coexist with continued employment and office-space growth.

The findings are based on a survey of 100 India GCC leaders, executive interviews and market data. While 92% of surveyed leaders said their centres had moved beyond selective AI adoption, realised productivity gains remained below 15%.

The report also found that 71% of leaders expected their centres to take on broader functional ownership. Another 15% anticipated global leadership roles moving to India. Existing GCCs are expected to account for around 80% of projected workforce additions by 2031.

“AI is reshaping GCCs from delivery centres into strategic capability hubs. India’s opportunity is to turn AI adoption into measurable business value, driving demand for specialist talent and supporting continued workforce and office growth through 2031,” said Aravind Maiya, CEO and Co-founder of Embark.

AI adoption is expected to change the composition of GCC workforces before reducing overall headcount. According to the report, automation, slower backfilling and role consolidation could moderate demand for routine roles by 0.4–0.5 million jobs.

However, the expansion of existing mandates and new GCC setups could create 1.2–1.5 million jobs. AI-led role creation could add another 0.3 million. Together, these gains are expected to outweigh the impact of reduced demand for routine roles.

Demand is also expected to shift towards specialised skills. GCCs will increasingly need professionals in AI, data, platform engineering, cybersecurity, solution architecture, governance and observability. Domain specialists are also expected to remain important. Embark projects that India’s AI-specialist talent pool could reach 0.8–0.9 million by 2031.

Despite wider adoption, organisations have yet to realise substantial productivity gains from AI. The report identifies data readiness, workflow redesign, governance and employee preparedness as barriers to scaling AI. Measuring the business value of AI initiatives remains another challenge.

Established GCCs are expected to drive much of the near-term expansion. Mature centres are moving beyond delivery-focused work towards ownership of entire functions, products, platforms and business outcomes.

India also has scope to attract new GCCs. The report estimates that around 3,144 viable Global 5000 companies have yet to establish centres in India. This could translate into 590–640 new setups by 2031.

Mid-market companies are expected to account for around 28% of new setups. Lower-capital models, including Nano GCCs employing 5–100 specialists, could help these companies enter the Indian market.

Tier 1 cities are expected to remain the main locations for new centres, accounting for around 90% of new GCC setups. Bengaluru and Hyderabad currently account for 67% of Tier 1 GCC leasing, according to the report.

Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities could attract more targeted expansion. Companies may use hub-and-spoke models to access specialised talent, manage costs and improve operational resilience.

The changing nature of GCC work is also expected to influence office design. The report projects that collaboration and shared spaces will rise from 27% of workplace allocation to 55% by 2031. Hybrid work, peak-day attendance and specialist infrastructure needs are expected to drive demand for spaces designed around collaboration, innovation and security.

Demand is also likely to vary by sector. Banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), along with technology, media and telecommunications (TMT), account for around 54% of projected incremental GCC office demand. Retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) is expected to be among the fastest-growing sectors in terms of office space, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 17–21%.