November 7, 2025: Hyderabad is fast becoming the nerve center of leadership in India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs), according to a new report by Quess Corp. The city, along with Bengaluru, now accounts for nearly 70% of all GCC leadership roles in the country, a clear signal of its growing strategic importance in the global enterprise landscape.
The report, titled India’s GCC-IT Talent Trends 2025: New Entrants Shaping India’s Capability Evolution, highlights Hyderabad’s standout performance, recording a 42% year-on-year growth in leadership requisitions. This surge is accompanied by a competitive talent premium of 6–8%, making Hyderabad not just a hub for talent, but a magnet for top-tier leadership roles.
While Bengaluru continues to anchor the largest pool of tech talent, commanding a cost index 8–10% above the market average, Hyderabad is emerging as a high-growth alternative, especially for companies seeking agility and cost-efficiency without compromising on quality.
Hyderabad & Bengaluru Hold 70% of India’s GCC Leadership Roles
The report also maps out the evolving roles of other cities in India’s GCC ecosystem. Chennai has become the preferred location for finance, risk, and control-oriented work, boasting the highest retention rate among Tier I cities at 94%. Pune is strengthening its foothold in analytics and quality assurance, while Tier II cities like Kochi, Coimbatore, Ahmedabad, and Indore are being activated as secondary hubs once governance and stability are established.
However, the talent boom comes with its own set of challenges. The report flags acute skill shortages in emerging tech areas. Roles in generative AI and LLM engineering show a 50% gap, while FinOps, Zero Trust security, Kubernetes, and Terraform skills face shortages ranging from 38% to 45%. These gaps are most visible in Hyderabad and Bengaluru, leading to slower project execution timelines.
Hyderabad Commands 6–8% Premium in GCC Talent Market
Hiring metrics are also shifting. The median time to fill critical roles now ranges from 90 to 120 days, with offer-to-join ratios hovering between 68–72%. These figures are no longer just HR statistics, they’re core design metrics for GCCs focused on efficiency and outcome-driven staffing.
“India’s GCC landscape has moved from capacity building to capability creation,” said Kapil Joshi, CEO of IT Staffing at Quess Corp. “Nearly half of new mandates now span AI, data, platform, cloud, and cybersecurity, as enterprises fund measurable outcomes, not headcount.”
With Hyderabad leading in growth and strategic hiring, the city is poised to play a defining role in India’s next wave of global capability evolution.
