AI Hiring in Retail GCCs Surges, But Senior AI Talent Remains Scarce in India

AI Hiring Accelerates in India’s Retail GCCs, Yet Senior Talent Gap Widens

India’s Retail and Consumer Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are witnessing rapid growth in AI hiring. Over the past three years, AI workforce penetration in these centres has more than doubled, transforming how the industry approaches supply chains, pricing models, and customer service. Despite this momentum, a significant challenge remains: the shortage of senior AI professionals to lead these transformations.

Rapid Growth in AI Adoption Across Retail GCCs

Between 2022 and 2025, the proportion of AI professionals in India’s Retail GCCs surged from 2.1% to 4.8%, according to a recent analysis by TeamLease Digital. Projections indicate that AI workforce penetration could climb even further, reaching 10.6% by 2028. This expansion highlights the increasingly central role AI is playing in the retail sector’s evolution.

Currently, these GCCs employ approximately 7,800 professionals in core AI and data-focused roles. The demand for skilled AI and data experts continues to grow, with nearly 990 open positions recorded in 2025 alone.

Limited Senior AI Leadership Amid Expanding Teams

While AI hiring is on the rise, the availability of experienced leadership remains critically limited. Of the thousands employed in AI roles across Retail GCCs, only 320 have more than eight years of relevant experience. This group forms the backbone of strategic AI development but is not growing at a pace to match the escalating demand.

Breakdown of Senior AI Roles

AI Engineering Leads: Representing 63% of the senior AI workforce (approximately 202 professionals), these experts typically have about nine years of experience.
AI and Data Directors: Making up 22% (nearly 71 professionals) of the senior pool, these leaders possess an average of 12 years of expertise.
AI Architects and Principal Scientists: Comprising 15% (around 47 professionals), this group boasts more than 14 years of experience on average.

It’s important to note that experts specializing in generative AI, who generally have five years of experience, are tracked separately from this senior segment.

Bengaluru: The Epicenter of Retail AI Talent

Bengaluru stands out as the focal point for AI hiring and talent in India’s Retail GCC sector. The city is home to around 4,200 AI professionals, including 185 of the nation’s senior AI experts. This concentration significantly exceeds the combined senior AI workforce of the next five largest cities in the country.

AI Talent Distribution Across Key Cities

Delhi NCR: 1,400 AI professionals, 48 of whom are senior-level.
Hyderabad: 750 AI professionals, 34 at the senior level.
Chennai, Mumbai, and Pune: Fewer than 20 senior AI professionals each, highlighting a steep drop in leadership talent beyond India’s top AI hubs.

This regional disparity makes competition for senior talent intense, with many companies vying for a limited pool of AI leaders mainly concentrated in Bengaluru.

Building, Not Just Buying, Senior AI Talent

The growing gap between AI workforce expansion and senior leadership availability poses a strategic challenge for India’s Retail GCCs. With only 320 professionals nationwide having the required depth of experience, organizations risk engaging in costly bidding wars rather than sustainable talent development.

Industry leaders emphasize the importance of nurturing senior AI talent within organizations instead of relying solely on external hiring. Combining targeted recruitment with long-term transformation programs can help build robust in-house AI leadership capacity.

Sector and Research Scope

The TeamLease Digital study evaluated 180 GCCs in sectors including Retail and E-commerce, Food, Personal Care, Apparel, Restaurants, and Consumer Durables. The research mapped talent across multiple Indian cities and categorized roles by capability area and years of experience. Notably, only 22 out of the top 50 mega Retail GCCs have established in-house AI capabilities, indicating that there is substantial room for further expansion and internal capability building.

The Future of AI Hiring in India’s Retail GCCs

As AI hiring continues its upward trajectory in India’s Retail GCCs, the pressing need is not just to increase headcount but to accelerate the development of experienced, visionary AI leaders. Sustainable growth will depend on strategic talent cultivation, structured development programs, and a long-term approach to leadership within AI teams.

With the right investment in people and capabilities, Retail GCCs in India have the opportunity to establish themselves as global pacesetters in AI-driven business transformation.