AI changes the GCC playbook in India: Up to 30,000 roles could be eliminated

India’s Global Capability Centre (GCC) ecosystem is going through a significant workforce shift. Thousands of jobs have been cut across GCCs this year as multinational companies look to improve efficiency, restructure teams and increase their use of artificial intelligence (AI). At the same time, Indian centres are taking on work that goes beyond traditional support functions, with greater responsibility for AI, engineering, product and enterprise decision-making. According to Moneycontrol, India’s GCC ecosystem employs around 2.4-2.5 million people across more than 2,100 centres. Estimates of this year’s job cuts, however, vary sharply.

As cited by Moneycontrol EIIRTrend CEO Pareekh Jain puts the figure at 25,000-30,000, while 3AI counterpart Sameer Dhanrajani estimates 4,000-5,000.

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AI is changing GCC hiring

Recent cuts include around 600 roles at PayPal and roughly 1,500 positions at Visa. ServiceNow and other smaller GCCs have also reduced more than 100 roles, according to Moneycontrol.

But the changing headcount does not tell the entire story. Sukanya Roy, partner at Zinnov, told Moneycontrol, “The headline number this year is headcount, who's hiring, who's cutting. The more consequential story is underneath it. Indian GCCs are being trusted to own a bigger share of enterprise decision-making than headcount suggests.”

Data cited by Moneycontrol shows commodity work accounts for 17.7% of the GCC portfolio, while complex work makes up 38.1%. Separately, 55% of the portfolio has some exposure to AI displacement. This does not mean 55% of jobs will disappear; rather, tasks within these roles could be redesigned as AI changes how work is performed.

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Fewer employees, bigger responsibilities

Retail and technology have been particularly affected. Weak top-line growth in retail and rapid technology cycles are making some existing skills less relevant, while companies increasingly seek professionals who can combine technology expertise with business judgment.

The shift also means GCCs can reduce parts of their workforce while taking on more strategically important work. Roy told Moneycontrol, “Restructuring will continue but every reduction isn't retreat from the GCC model.” New GCCs and specialised hiring continue, but companies are becoming more selective about the skills they need.

Indian teams are also no longer insulated from global restructuring. As GCCs become more closely integrated with core products and operations, changes at parent companies can directly affect India-based teams. GCC transformation leader Snehal Kulkarni told Moneycontrol, “When parent companies restructure global product or operational divisions, India-based teams face proportional cuts.”

For technology and fintech companies, pressure to improve margins and redirect capital towards AI infrastructure is further pushing them towards leaner teams, with greater emphasis on higher-skilled roles.