India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs) directed a larger share of technology recruitment toward artificial intelligence (AI), data and cybersecurity in July-September 2026, even as overall demand at the centers contracted, Quess Corp reported.
The three fields represented 30.3% of GCC technology hiring demand, up from 25.8% in April-June, while total demand fell 3.5% from the previous quarter. The figures appear in Quess Corp’s Q2 FY27 report, which describes companies as narrowing hiring to selected capabilities.
Demand for AI, data and analytics positions rose about 14% from the prior quarter, while cybersecurity and risk management demand climbed 12%. The former group’s share increased to 19.7% from 16.7%; the latter’s rose to 10.6% from 9.1%, Quess said.
Quess estimated that the supply gap reached 38% to 42% for AI, data and analytics, compared with 30% to 35% for cybersecurity and risk management. The Economic Times reported that Quess highlighted possible internal moves, including cloud-security training for cybersecurity analysts, applied-AI assignments for data engineers and model-operations roles for data scientists.
Quess figures also showed demand in Tier-2 centers rising about 13% from the prior quarter, with demand in Coimbatore up roughly 30%. Tier-1 cities retained 84% to 86% of demand; Pune was the only Tier-1 market reported to grow, rising 2%, while Hyderabad fell about 10% and Mumbai 9%.
Quess connected recruitment choices to a shift in corporate expectations: Indian units are taking on more responsibility for business results. The staffing firm described employers as concentrating openings in specific capabilities rather than expanding headcount broadly.
PTI reported that the assessment drew on job listings from multiple sites as well as secondary and public information. The Economic Times said Quess viewed the moderation as part of a recurring annual rhythm, with recruitment typically stronger earlier in the year and easing toward year-end.
