- Hiring at Global Capability Centres has slowed amid economic uncertainty and AI adoption
- Companies focus on boosting productivity rather than expanding workforce strength currently
- Demand for AI and machine learning talent remains strong, especially in premium roles
Amid global economic uncertainty and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence-driven tools, hiring across Global Capability Centres (GCCs) has slowed as companies focus more on boosting productivity than expanding workforce strength, according to Info Edge, the parent company of Naukri.com, reported Moneycontrol citing concall details.
Speaking during the company's Q4FY26 earnings call, Info Edge Managing Director and CEO Hitesh Oberoi said the overall hiring environment remains subdued amid global economic uncertainty and the rapid adoption of AI-led tools and automation across industries.
“The overall job market sentiment continues to be subdued. It's not a hot market,” Oberoi said during the concall, noting that companies are taking longer to close hiring mandates despite continued recruitment in select sectors.
According to the report, smaller GCCs are still adding talent, but several large captive centres have either slowed recruitment or witnessed a decline in headcount in recent quarters as enterprises focus on extracting higher productivity from existing teams through generative AI, automation platforms and AI agents.
The comments come at a time when companies worldwide are reassessing workforce structures as AI adoption accelerates across software development and enterprise operations.
Despite the broader slowdown, demand for AI and machine learning professionals continues to remain strong, particularly in engineering and premium hiring segments.
Oberoi said companies are actively seeking AI-linked talent, especially in the Rs 20 lakh to Rs 50 lakh salary bracket.
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Info Edge also noted that premium hiring has been growing faster than the mid-market segment in recent quarters, driven largely by demand for specialised AI skills.
The company also noted that job mobility across sectors has remained sluggish, as employees grow more hesitant about changing jobs due to concerns surrounding AI-led disruption and prevailing macroeconomic uncertainty.
While attrition levels have stayed stable, they continue to remain on the lower side, the report added.
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