AI and Platform Engineering Face 42% Talent Gaps in Indian GCCs: Quess Corp

Quess Corp has released a new report titled ‘India’s GCC Tech Talent Landscape’ which highlights the major challenges facing India’s global capability centres (GCCs). 

The report highlights a widening talent gap in roles like AI and platform engineering, even as hiring overall picks up pace. AI, data & analytics roles saw the highest talent shortage at 42%, followed closely by platform engineering, which faced a 38% supply gap. 

According to the report, these roles are becoming critical as companies invest more in technologies like generative AI, machine learning operations (MLOps), Kubernetes, and multi-cloud systems. Meanwhile, more traditional IT roles such as ERP and IT support are seeing stable demand and supply.

“Deep-tech roles like AI, data science, and platform engineering face over 40% talent shortfalls, slowing hiring cycles and limiting team scalability,” said Kapil Joshi, CEO, IT staffing, Quess Corp. 

While earlier speaking with AIM, Joshi emphasised that talent retention and internal development are now critical for long-term success in the tech industry. 

“There’s no way this kind of skill set is readily available in the market,” he said, referring to high-demand roles in AI and platform engineering. “External hiring will not help—unless you have, you know, $100 million lying around like Meta does. That’s not the case for everyone.”

According to Joshi, the only sustainable approach is to invest in existing employees and develop talent internally. He highlighted the importance of building capability from the ground up. 

“We always believe fresher intakes can also play a key role in capability building. Yes, there’s an investment in training them, but it’s worth it. It’s much better than chasing talent at a premium in the current market,” Joshi explained, while highlighting from his experience that organisations are under increasing pressure from leadership to initiate projects, go live with implementations, and kick off proof-of-concepts (POCs). 

However, despite the urgency from the top, there is a significant gap at the execution level. He said that the required talent simply isn’t available on the ground. This disconnect between strategic intent and operational readiness is emerging as a major challenge across tech-driven enterprises.

The report further adds that while tier-2 cities are showing faster hiring growth, they still lack experienced professionals in complex digital roles. As a result, nearly half of mid-to-senior positions in these areas are being moved back to tier-1 cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

“India’s GCC landscape is undergoing a structural shift, one that prioritises capability over sheer scale,” Joshi added.

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