New Delhi: Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India are poised for a notable 9.8 per cent salary growth over the next 12 months, a report showed on Wednesday.
Looking ahead, India’s GCC sector is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9-12 per cent through 2030 and salaries are set to grow exponentially.
According to the report by leading digital talent solutions provider NLB Services, AI/ML engineer salaries are set to jump from Rs 18–Rs 60 lakh per annum (LPA) in 2025 to Rs 40 lakh–Rs 1.5 crore by 2030.
Cybersecurity leadership roles will rise from Rs 25–90 lakh per annum to Rs 55 lakh–Rs 2.2 crore and above.
Regional variations will also play a significant role, with Tier-1 hubs like Bengaluru and Hyderabad potentially seeing niche AI and cybersecurity roles surpassing Rs 2 crore annually.
Incidentally, 61 per cent of India Inc. GCCs acknowledge higher salaries in the ecosystem.
With India hosting over 55 per cent of the world’s GCCs and projected to reach a market size of $110 billion by 2030, these centres have become critical nodes for organisations seeking agility, cost efficiency and access to a vast talent pool.
“This growth trajectory is now translating into significant salary increases for employees, especially for specialized skills which are commanding higher premiums than ever before,” said Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services.
The report indicated that GCCs are seen as top payers in Hyderabad (19 per cent) and Mumbai (19 per cent), especially in IT software and consulting (22 per cent) and banking/financial services (18 per cent).
Meanwhile, Delhi/NCR (21 per cent) and Bengaluru (24 per cent) show strong salary competitiveness, with notable parity in telecom and internet services (12 per cent), the report noted.
The strong salary growth spans across junior and mid-level roles, fuelled by demand in fields like AI, ML, cloud computing and cybersecurity.
On the contrary, senior roles are set for modest increases as organizations prioritise cost efficiency in leadership.
Interestingly, GCCs are also prioritising skills and it is reflected in the pay parity trends in the ecosystem.
AI/ML and Data Science professionals are commanding a premium of 30–50 per cent above traditional IT roles, while Cloud Architects and Product Designers are seeing elevated salaries, fuelled by generative AI and hybrid cloud adoption.
Foundational digital and automation engineers, particularly in Industry 4.0 sectors, are experiencing close to 20–50 per cent premiums, the report noted.
The report further highlighted evolving GCC penetration beyond IT services, with financial services leading the way.
(IANS)
