Bengaluru AI engineers command salaries up to Rs 48 LPA as GCCs expand talent hunt: Report

Artificial Intelligence (AI) professionals in Bengaluru are earning up to Rs 47.9 lakh per annum with just eight years of experience, as demand for specialized tech talent surges across Global Capability Centres (GCCs), according to Quess Corp’s India GCC Talent Landscape 2024 report.

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The report highlights a widening supply-demand gap, with 30-45% of critical roles in AI, cybersecurity, and cloud cost optimisation remaining unfilled. This talent crunch has prompted GCCs to aggressively recruit for niche roles such as Generative AI, AI observability, and AI compliance, which now offer salaries 20-50% higher than traditional IT jobs.

Bengaluru leads GCC hiring, followed by Hyderabad (Rs 33–45 LPA) and Pune (Rs 31–41 LPA). Despite this, filling specialised positions like Zero Trust Security Engineers and AI FinOps Specialists remains a challenge even in top-tier cities.

The BFSI sector drives 18% of GCC hiring, especially for AI-led credit risk modeling and fraud detection roles, which have seen 32% year-on-year growth. Retail and e-commerce companies are also scaling up AI investments in personalisation technologies.

To meet rising demand, GCCs are expanding into Tier-II cities like Kochi, Ahmedabad, and Coimbatore. However, limited availability of high-skill talent in these regions has made upskilling and relocation incentives essential. As India’s GCC market is projected to reach $105 billion by 2030, strategic hiring and reskilling initiatives remain critical.