Last updated: November 2026
India's technology hiring market is showing an interesting contradiction. Companies are becoming more selective about recruitment, but their demand for professionals with specialised AI, data and cybersecurity skills is increasing. In fact, these three areas now account for nearly one-third of technology hiring demand across India's Global Capability Centres (GCCs).
According to Quess Corp's November 2026 report, the combined share of these skills increased from 25.8% to 30.3% in just one quarter. At the same time, the report identifies substantial talent shortages in AI, data analytics and cybersecurity. For professionals entering India's technology job market, this raises an important question: are companies struggling to find enough people with the right technical skills?
I'm Riten, founder of Fueler, a skills-first portfolio platform building the career infrastructure for 100 million creative professionals. Fueler connects talented individuals with companies through assignments, portfolios, and projects, not just resumes or CVs. Think of it as Dribbble/Behance for work samples combined with AngelList for hiring infrastructure.
The latest hiring numbers suggest that knowing a programming language or having a technology degree may not be enough to stand out. Companies increasingly need professionals who can apply AI, work with complex datasets and protect enterprise systems. Let's examine what Quess Corp's findings actually reveal, which skills are gaining demand and what these changes mean for technology professionals in India.
What Happened? India's GCCs Are Increasing Demand for AI, Data and Cybersecurity Skills
According to Quess Corp's India GCC Tech Talent Landscape – Q2 FY27 report, artificial intelligence, data and cybersecurity represented 30.3% of technology hiring demand across India's Global Capability Centres during July–September 2026. This was an increase from 25.8% in the previous quarter, representing a rise of 4.5 percentage points.
The report also identified the following developments:
Demand for AI, data and analytics professionals increased approximately 14% quarter-over-quarter.
Cybersecurity and risk management demand increased approximately 12%.
AI, data and analytics accounted for 19.7% of GCC technology hiring, compared with 16.7% previously.
Cybersecurity and risk management increased their share from 9.1% to 10.6%.
Tier-2 cities recorded 13% quarter-over-quarter growth in GCC hiring.
Coimbatore recorded approximately 30% growth.
However, there is another important figure. Overall GCC technology hiring demand declined by 3.5% during the same quarter. This means companies were not necessarily increasing recruitment across every technology function. Instead, the composition of hiring demand was changing, with specialised technology capabilities receiving a larger share of attention.
Source: Quess Corp's Q2 FY27 report, as reported by Business Standard and Moneycontrol.
Why Are AI, Data and Cybersecurity Becoming Important for GCCs?
Global Capability Centres are established by multinational companies to manage technology, business operations, research, engineering and other functions for their global organisations. India has become an important destination for these centres because companies can build specialised teams here to support their international operations.
However, the responsibilities of GCCs are changing. They are increasingly expected to contribute to technology development, data-driven decision-making, AI implementation and enterprise security. This helps explain why companies are looking beyond traditional IT recruitment.
1. Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Technology Requirements
AI is no longer limited to experimental projects or dedicated research teams. Companies need professionals who can work with AI applications, develop models, integrate AI into existing systems and manage their deployment.
Quess Corp's findings indicate that AI and generative AI skill requirements increased across all eight sectors covered by the report. Technology and product GCCs recorded the highest proportion of job postings requiring AI and GenAI skills, at 32%, compared with 27% in the previous quarter.
Other sectors also recorded increases:
Industry | Share of postings requiring AI and GenAI skills |
Technology and product | 32% |
Pharma and healthcare | 23% |
Professional services and consulting | 22% |
BFSI | 23% |
Telecom and networks | 17% |
Manufacturing and industrial | 13% |
The figures for BFSI, telecom and manufacturing are particularly interesting because these sectors experienced declines in overall technology hiring demand. Yet their requirements for AI skills increased. This suggests that organisations can reduce hiring in certain functions while continuing to seek specialised AI capabilities.
For professionals, understanding how AI is applied to actual business problems is becoming increasingly relevant. Building practical projects around automation, machine learning and AI-assisted workflows can help demonstrate this knowledge. The distinction between using an AI tool and understanding how to apply it effectively matters.
Fueler's discussion of AI-assisted work also examines why professionals should be transparent about their use of AI when presenting projects and assignments.
2. Data Analytics Is Becoming a Major Hiring Priority
AI systems depend on data. Businesses also need professionals who can collect, organise, analyse and interpret information before making decisions. This makes data analytics and applied data science important areas of recruitment.
According to Quess Corp, demand for AI, data and analytics professionals increased approximately 14% quarter-over-quarter. Their share of GCC technology hiring increased from 16.7% to 19.7%. The report also identified approximately 19% growth in demand for applied data science and model operations.
These developments point towards a demand for professionals who can work beyond basic data processing. Some relevant capabilities include SQL for querying and managing databases, Python for data analysis and automation, Power BI and Tableau for data visualisation, statistical analysis for identifying patterns, machine learning for building predictive models, data engineering for managing data pipelines and model operations for deploying and monitoring AI models.
A candidate who understands these technologies should also be able to explain how they have applied them. For example, a data analyst could demonstrate a project that analyses customer behaviour, identifies revenue patterns or evaluates business performance.
Students looking to enter this field can explore practical data science projects that demonstrate their understanding of real analytical problems rather than simply listing Python, SQL and machine learning on a resume.
3. Cybersecurity Is Becoming an Enterprise Priority
As organisations expand their digital infrastructure and adopt AI-powered applications, protecting enterprise systems becomes increasingly important. Cybersecurity teams help organisations identify vulnerabilities, monitor threats, manage access and protect sensitive information.
Quess Corp reported approximately 12% quarter-over-quarter growth in demand for cybersecurity and risk management professionals. Their share of GCC technology hiring increased from 9.1% to 10.6%. The report also identified approximately 21% growth in demand for cloud security and AI-infused architecture.
This is important because enterprise security requirements extend beyond traditional network protection. Companies need professionals who understand cloud security, identity and access management, security operations, vulnerability assessment, risk management, security architecture, threat detection and incident response.
For someone entering cybersecurity, practical knowledge matters. Understanding how to identify a vulnerability, investigate a security incident or configure a secure environment provides more useful evidence of capability than simply listing certifications.
India's Technology Hiring Market Has a Talent Supply Problem
One of the most important findings in the Quess report is the gap between the demand for specialised professionals and the estimated available talent supply.
Estimated talent supply gaps in India:
Skill category | Estimated talent supply gap |
AI, data and analytics | 38–42% |
Cybersecurity | 30–35% |
Source: Quess Corp, India GCC Tech Talent Landscape – Q2 FY27. These are estimated supply-gap ranges, not unemployment or vacancy rates.
A supply gap means the report estimates a shortage of available talent relative to the requirements in these skill categories. It does not mean that the same percentage of advertised jobs will remain vacant.
The difference matters because companies may have technology openings but still struggle to find candidates with the required experience and specialised capabilities.
Which Skills Are Companies Struggling to Find?
The report highlights two particularly important areas.
AI, data and analytics: The estimated supply gap is 38–42%. This indicates a significant shortage of professionals with the capabilities needed across data analytics, applied data science and related technology functions.
Cybersecurity: The estimated supply gap is 30–35%. Companies need people who understand enterprise security, risk management and newer areas such as cloud security.
The report also identifies career transitions that could help address these shortages:
Existing professional background | Potential career transition |
Data scientist | Model operations |
Data engineer | Applied AI |
Cybersecurity analyst | Cloud security |
These transitions are important because professionals may already possess adjacent technical knowledge that can be developed further. Instead of treating every emerging technology role as an entirely new career, organisations can also develop existing employees through structured reskilling and internal mobility.
GCC Hiring in India: Are Tier-2 Cities Becoming Important?
Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and other established technology hubs have traditionally attracted a significant share of India's GCC hiring activity. However, Quess Corp's latest report identifies faster quarter-over-quarter hiring growth in Tier-2 cities.
Tier-2 locations recorded approximately 13% growth in GCC hiring during Q2 FY27, taking their share to around 14%. Coimbatore was one of the standout locations, recording approximately 30% growth.
The report also found that job postings in Coimbatore during the first week of September were more than 200% higher than in the corresponding period in August.
Here is how some of the major locations performed:
City | GCC technology hiring trend |
Coimbatore | +30% |
Tier-2 cities overall | +13% |
Pune | +2% |
Hyderabad | -10% |
Mumbai | -9% |
Bengaluru continued to remain India's largest GCC hiring hub, accounting for 22.6% of demand.
There is an important qualification here: Tier-1 cities still accounted for approximately 84–86% of overall GCC hiring demand, while 87–88% of advanced-skill hiring remained concentrated in Tier-1 locations. Therefore, the numbers do not indicate that smaller cities have replaced major technology hubs. Instead, they show that GCC hiring is expanding into additional locations while established technology centres continue to dominate the market.
What Does This Mean for Students and Technology Professionals?
The most useful takeaway from this report is that professionals should pay attention to the specific capabilities companies are demanding. A degree, certification or list of programming languages may communicate someone's educational background. However, it does not necessarily demonstrate whether that person can solve a practical business or technical problem.
This becomes particularly important in specialised technology roles.
1. Build Projects That Demonstrate Technical Skills
If you want to enter data analytics, AI or cybersecurity, start by building projects that demonstrate how you apply your knowledge.
Career interest | Project idea |
Data analytics | Customer retention dashboard |
Data science | Customer churn prediction model |
AI development | AI-powered document processing tool |
Cybersecurity | Network vulnerability assessment in an authorised lab |
Cloud security | Secure cloud infrastructure demonstration |
The purpose is not to create projects simply to fill a portfolio. Each project should demonstrate a particular capability and explain the problem it addresses. For example, a data analytics project should show the dataset, cleaning process, analysis, visualisations and conclusions.
Professionals can also study how to build real data projects that communicate their technical decisions and problem-solving abilities.
2. Make Your Technical Experience Visible
A recruiter may see Python, SQL, AWS or machine learning listed on a resume. But how can they understand the candidate's actual proficiency?
A well-organised portfolio can provide additional context. Software developers can showcase applications, repositories and technical decisions. Data professionals can present dashboards, analytical reports and machine learning projects. Cybersecurity professionals can document authorised lab exercises, security assessments and defensive workflows without exposing confidential information.
An engineering portfolio can help developers communicate the technical thinking behind their work, not just the tools they have used.
3. Understand the Difference Between Knowing AI and Applying AI
AI skills are appearing across multiple industries. However, using an AI chatbot is not the same as understanding machine learning, model evaluation, deployment or enterprise AI integration.
Professionals should identify the particular AI capabilities relevant to their target roles. They should also document how AI contributed to their projects. This makes it easier for employers to understand the person's actual contribution and technical understanding.
The discussion around skills-first hiring is relevant here: the ability to demonstrate practical capabilities can provide employers with information that a qualification alone cannot communicate.
4. Prepare for Practical Hiring Assessments
The Quess report identifies a shortage of specialised professionals, but a shortage does not automatically guarantee employment. Candidates still need to demonstrate that they can perform the work expected in a particular role.
This is where practical assessments, technical assignments and project-based evaluations can become useful. A candidate applying for a data analyst position, for example, may need to demonstrate how they interpret a dataset and communicate business insights. A cybersecurity candidate may need to explain how they would investigate a particular security scenario.
Fueler's hiring assignments explain how practical tasks can help companies evaluate candidates through their actual work. The broader idea is that hiring teams need evidence of capability, not just claims about experience.
How Fueler Fits Into This Changing Hiring Environment
The latest GCC hiring report highlights a growing requirement for specialised technical skills. However, there is another side to this development: professionals need effective ways to communicate what they can actually do.
This is particularly relevant for students, fresh graduates and people transitioning into technology careers. Someone learning data analytics might understand SQL, Excel and Power BI but have no professional experience. Another candidate might have completed several cybersecurity labs but struggle to communicate their practical understanding to recruiters.
In both situations, the challenge is not necessarily a lack of learning. It is the ability to demonstrate that learning.
At Fueler, we believe professional opportunities should not depend entirely on resumes or educational credentials. A strong career portfolio gives people a way to organise their projects, assignments and work samples so employers can understand their capabilities.
This is also why proof of work matters. It gives employers something tangible to evaluate rather than asking them to rely entirely on self-reported skills.
For professionals entering AI, data or cybersecurity, this does not replace technical education, experience or recognised certifications. It complements them by making practical capabilities easier to assess.
What We Know and What Remains Unclear
The Quess report provides a useful snapshot of India's GCC technology hiring market during July–September 2026. However, it is important not to interpret the findings beyond what the available data establishes.
What is confirmed:
AI, data and cybersecurity accounted for 30.3% of GCC technology hiring demand.
Their combined share increased from 25.8% in the previous quarter.
Overall GCC technology hiring demand declined 3.5%.
AI, data and analytics demand increased approximately 14%.
Cybersecurity and risk management demand increased approximately 12%.
Tier-2 cities recorded approximately 13% growth.
Coimbatore recorded approximately 30% growth.
The report estimated substantial talent supply gaps in AI, data analytics and cybersecurity.
What remains unclear:
How many individual job openings were created specifically for AI, data and cybersecurity professionals.
How many of these positions were successfully filled.
How much of the estimated talent shortage can be addressed through internal reskilling.
Whether Tier-2 hiring growth will continue at the same pace in subsequent quarters.
How much of the demand will translate into opportunities for fresh graduates rather than experienced professionals.
The report provides evidence of changing hiring requirements, but it does not establish that every professional with AI or cybersecurity skills will automatically find employment.
Conclusion
India's GCC technology hiring market is becoming more specialised. Quess Corp's Q2 FY27 report shows that AI, data and cybersecurity now account for 30.3% of technology hiring demand, even as overall GCC technology recruitment declined.
The estimated talent shortages also highlight a challenge for companies: finding professionals who can apply specialised technical knowledge to real business and engineering problems.
For students and working professionals, the practical takeaway is to develop relevant skills and learn how to demonstrate them. Understanding AI, working with data or studying cybersecurity concepts is a starting point. Being able to apply that knowledge to meaningful projects provides a clearer picture of what someone can actually contribute.
The next phase of technology hiring in India will not simply be about how many people companies recruit. It will also be about finding people with the capabilities required to solve increasingly specialised problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What percentage of GCC hiring in India is related to AI, data and cybersecurity?
According to Quess Corp's Q2 FY27 report, AI, data and cybersecurity accounted for 30.3% of GCC technology hiring demand during July–September 2026. This was up from 25.8% in the previous quarter.
2. Why are Indian GCCs hiring more AI professionals?
GCCs are increasing their requirements for professionals who can develop, implement and manage AI technologies. Quess Corp found that AI and GenAI skill requirements increased across all eight sectors covered in its report.
3. What is the talent shortage in India's AI and cybersecurity sectors?
Quess Corp estimated a talent supply gap of 38–42% for AI, data and analytics professionals and 30–35% for cybersecurity professionals. These are estimated supply gaps, not unemployment rates.
4. Which Indian city recorded the highest GCC hiring growth in Q2 FY27?
Coimbatore recorded approximately 30% quarter-over-quarter growth in GCC hiring demand, according to the Quess Corp report. Tier-2 cities collectively recorded approximately 13% growth.
5. Which skills should students learn to enter India's GCC technology sector?
Relevant skills include Python, SQL, machine learning, data analytics, cloud computing, cybersecurity, risk management and model operations. The most suitable skills depend on the specific role, and practical projects can help demonstrate proficiency.
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