India’s GCC Expansion Faces Leadership Talent Crunch

India's Global Capability Centres (GCCs) employ nearly two million professionals, but EY's GCC Pulse Report 2025 reveals a concerning trend: almost 80% of these centers have less than 10% of leadership roles based in India.
 
Despite a 40% annual growth in global leadership roles over the last five years, reaching over 6,500 in 2024, the demand for mid-to-senior talent is set to rise. 
 
By 2025, this segment is expected to make up 77% of all GCC hiring, up from 63% in 2023.
 
While GCCs experience rapid expansion, their leadership pipelines are not keeping pace. 
 
Many centers struggle to find experienced leaders with the right mix of technical expertise, business acumen, and interpersonal skills needed to manage complex teams. 
 
This shortage is a significant growth bottleneck.
 
Successful centers address this gap by offering personalized learning and clear career paths, treating Indian leaders as global business figures. 
 
The key challenge is enhancing leadership depth, necessitating proactive internal pipeline development. 
 
By doing so, India can establish itself as a global leadership talent hub.