Retail GCCs double AI hiring, but India has only 320 senior AI professionals

India’s Retail and Consumer global capability centres (GCCs) more than doubled their AI workforce penetration between 2022 and 2025, but the sector has only 320 AI professionals with at least eight years of experience, according to TeamLease Digital. Bengaluru accounts for 54% of the country’s Retail GCC AI talent pool.

AI workforce penetration in Retail GCCs rose from 2.1% in 2022 to 4.8% in 2025. The figure is expected to reach 10.6% by 2028.

The sector currently employs about 7,800 professionals in core AI and data roles. Demand for AI and data talent stood at 990 positions in 2025.
TeamLease Digital assessed 180 GCCs and found that only 22 of the top 50 mega Retail GCCs had established AI capabilities. These centres are building AI solutions instead of only using them.

Senior AI talent remains limited

Professionals with at least eight years of experience account for only 320 of the sector’s AI workers.

AI Engineering Leads form the largest group, with 63% of the senior talent pool, or around 202 professionals. They have an average of nine years of experience.
AI and Data Directors account for 22%, or nearly 71 professionals, with an average experience of 12 years.AI Architects and Principal Scientists make up the remaining 15%, or about 47 professionals. They have more than 14 years of experience on average.

GenAI specialists, with an average of five years of experience, are classified separately from this senior talent pool.

Bengaluru leads India’s AI talent pool

Bengaluru has around 4,200 AI professionals working in Retail GCCs. The city has more AI talent than the next five cities combined and accounts for 185 of India’s 320 senior AI professionals.

Delhi NCR follows with 1,400 AI professionals, including 48 senior professionals. Hyderabad has 750 AI professionals and 34 senior professionals.

Chennai, Mumbai and Pune have fewer than 20 senior AI professionals each.

“Retail GCCs in India have moved decisively past the pilot stage on AI, adoption has more than doubled in just three years, and it now touches how these centres plan supply chains, price products and serve customers. But leadership hasn’t kept pace. And you can’t fix a 320-person shortage by hiring harder. When everyone competes for the same few names in the same one city, all you get is a bidding war. The durable answer is to build senior AI talent, not buy it back at a premium. That’s where we work with GCCs: combining specialist hiring with structured transformation programs so centres build their own AI leadership capability, instead of just renting it,” said Neeti Sharma, Chief Executive Officer, TeamLease Digital.

The study covered Retail and E-commerce, Food, Beverage and Ingredients, Personal Care and Household, Apparel, Footwear and Luxury, Restaurants and Food Services, and Consumer Durables.

It analysed GCCs across Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Tier 2 cities. Roles were mapped across seven capability areas and five experience groups.