India's Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are projected to grow from about 2.3 million employees today to 3.3-3.7 million by 2031, adding 1-1.4 million net jobs — yaani 10 to 14 lakh new jobs — and generating 150-170 million square feet of incremental office demand, according to a report by Embark released in Bengaluru on October 23, 2026, titled 'India GCCs in the AI Era: Implications for Workforce Growth and Office Demand'.

Source: Embark via PR Newswire — India's GCCs to add 1-1.4 Million Jobs by 2031 (Oct 23, 2026)

The report, based on a survey of 100 India GCC leaders, executive interviews and market data, found 92 per cent of surveyed leaders have moved beyond selective AI adoption, but realised productivity gains remain below 15 per cent, YourStory reported. It said 71 per cent expect their centres to take on broader functional ownership, 15 per cent anticipate global leadership roles moving to India, and existing GCCs are expected to account for around 80 per cent of incremental workforce additions.

Source: YourStory — GCCs in India to add 1-1.4M jobs by 2031: Embark report (Oct 23, 2026)

Specialist roles, routine roles squeezed

Hiring demand is expected to shift towards specialised skills in AI, data, platform engineering, cybersecurity, solution architecture and governance, while automation, slower backfilling and role consolidation could moderate demand for routine roles by 400,000-500,000 jobs, CIOL reported, citing the same Embark report. Embark CEO and co-founder Aravind Maiya said AI is reshaping GCCs from delivery centres into strategic capability hubs. These are projections in a private report, not government figures.

Source: CIOL — India's GCCs Could Add 1.4 Million Jobs by 2031, but AI Productivity Gains Lag (Oct 23, 2026)