BENGALURU: The country's global capability centres (GCCs) are now emerging as employers of choice as it is projected that GCCs will pay an average salary hike of 9.9% this year compared to services (8.1%) and product companies (9.3%).
Though this is less than 10.1% in 2023, one of the key highlights is that the high demand for skilled professionals within GCCs continues to drive salary increases. Talent500 by ANSR, in its latest report -- Increment & Compensation Trends in GCCs, says within GCCs, Retail/CPG (consumer packaged goods) will witness the highest salary increase at 10.40%, followed by healthcare/life sciences at 10.10%, BFSI at 9.80%, travel & transportation at 9.60%.
The report says to remain competitive in the market, companies are implementing non-merit increases, which are salary adjustments that are not based on individual performance but rather on factors like cost of living, inflation, or industry standards, to attract and retain talent.
Currently, there are over 1,800 GCCs in India and this is likely to increase over 2,400 by 2030. As of 2025, over 2.1 million people are employed in GCCs and it will house over 4.5 million in 2030.
India is home to GCCs of over 70 Retail/CPG companies employing over 85,000 professionals. Retail/CPG is one of the fastest growing GCC segments in India, with BestBuy, 7-Eleven, Giant Eagle, Lululemon, Adidas, and Neiman Marcus, among others, opening centers between 2020 and 2024.
Vikram Ahuja, Co-Founder, ANSR, said, “As GCCs become core to enterprise strategy, the way they think about talent is continuously evolving — adapting to new business needs, technologies, and expectations. In a world shaped by AI, shifting expectations, and rapid change, the GCCs that succeed will be the ones that treat talent as a true strategic advantage — combining agility, purpose, and a focus on future-ready leadership.”
Interestingly, overall attrition rate is showing a steady decline- falling to 18.7% in 2023, and further to 16.9% in 2024. Now, it stands at a historic low of 12.6%, the lowest since the onset of the pandemic.
Since, GCCs rely on professionals with both digital expertise and a deep understanding of core business functions, it is important to retail top talent and long term incentives (LTIs) play a crucial role as they help GCCs secure the loyalty of high potential employees.
The report adds that the most prevalent LTI options are Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOPs- 71%), Restricted Stock Units (RSUs- 20%) and Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs-8%).