Global firms in India are growing increasingly choosy in their recruitment as AI transforms job functions, heightening the shortage of talent with advanced technology expertise.

Leaders of global capability centres (GCCs) and high-ranking officials at multinational companies informed Reuters that although recruitment persists, identifying candidates with the ideal blend of technical skills and flexibility is becoming more challenging.

"I believe the color assigned to each job and position will vary. The main difficulty is finding the right talent with the necessary AI skills," remarked Puneet Chandok, president of Microsoft India and South Asia.

GCCs are worldwide hubs for multinational corporations engaged in advanced tasks, from creating dashboard designs for luxury vehicles to assisting pharmaceutical companies with drug development.

By the conclusion of fiscal 2026, India is projected to have 2,117 global centers - around 500 more than in 2021 - providing jobs for 2.36 million individuals and yielding nearly $100 billion in revenue, as stated in a report released earlier this month by industry association Nasscom and consulting firm Zinnov.

The growth rate in GCCs has mainly relied on the nation's large reservoir of skilled labor and comparatively low operational expenses. Nonetheless, as AI and automation take on a pivotal role in business operations, organizations are looking for increasingly specialized skills across various sectors.

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“There’s significant demand for specialized skills in the areas of AI and cybersecurity,” states Radhakrishnan Kodakkal, the newly appointed leader of Daimler Truck Innovation Center India.

Nihar Nidhi, managing director of US retail group Catalyst Brands in India, pointed out the difficulties in locating suitable talent.

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Lalit Ahuja, CEO and founder of ANSR, which assists companies in establishing and managing global centers, stated that all of this has hindered hiring in GCCs. "Firms are employing fewer individuals, simply as a precautionary measure."

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The move toward specialized skills has disrupted early-career recruitment, with leaders indicating that conventional entry-level positions may decrease as AI handles repetitive tasks.