Slow Hiring Plagues Global Capability Centers in India

New report finds 58% of GCCs take over 45 days to fill critical roles, hampering AI transformation efforts

Published on Mar. 12, 2026

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A new report by Ceipal and People Matters reveals that 58% of Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India take more than 45 days to fill critical roles, a sign that slow, reactive hiring has become a strategic liability as organizations race to build AI-first workforces. The GCC Talentscope India 2026 Report found that while 59% of GCCs are positioning themselves as AI transformation leaders, 50% are making key hiring decisions without predictive analytics or intelligence, underscoring the urgency of redesigning talent strategy around skills.

Why it matters

India's GCC ecosystem has matured into a powerhouse of innovation and digital capability, but the report exposes a widening gap between the strategic mandates GCCs are committing to in 2026 and the hiring infrastructure in place to deliver them. With talent scarcity affecting 49% of GCCs and growing people costs pressuring 45%, making the right hiring decisions quickly has never been more consequential for these organizations.

The details

The report, based on 150-plus survey responses and interviews with GCC leaders, found that half of GCCs are making critical hiring decisions without predictive analytics, making reactive hiring a widespread strategic liability. GCCs are heavily prioritizing skills like GenAI, prompt engineering, data science, and AI/ML engineering, while under-investing in program leadership and product management. Agentic AI in recruitment is the top HR tech investment priority, signaling a shift toward intelligent, autonomous hiring workflows.

  • The GCC Talentscope India 2026 Report was released on March 12, 2026.

The players

Ceipal

A leading AI-powered global staffing software provider that collaborated with People Matters on the report.

People Matters

A research and content strategy firm that collaborated with Ceipal on the GCC Talentscope India 2026 Report.

Sameer Penakalapati

The founder and CEO of Ceipal.

Cheshta Dora

The head of research and content strategy at People Matters.

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What they’re saying

“India's GCC ecosystem has matured into a powerhouse of innovation, digital capability, and leadership talent. The next evolution of the GCC industry will be defined by how effectively organizations leverage AI and talent intelligence to build resilient, future-ready workforces.”

— Sameer Penakalapati, Founder and CEO of Ceipal

“India's GCC sector is at an inflection point. The data makes clear that talent acquisition can no longer be treated as a back-office function — it's a strategic imperative aligned directly to growth, innovation, and transformation priorities. This report gives GCC leaders the talent intelligence they need to act with urgency and precision in 2026.”

— Cheshta Dora, Head of Research and Content Strategy at People Matters

The takeaway

The report highlights the urgent need for GCCs in India to modernize their talent acquisition strategies by leveraging AI and predictive analytics to make faster, more informed hiring decisions. Failure to do so risks undermining their ambitious plans for AI-driven transformation and innovation.