India’s Retail and Consumer GCCs are rapidly expanding their use of AI, with AI workforce penetration more than doubling from 2.1% in 2022 to 4.8% in 2025. However, the sector has only 320 AI professionals with at least 8 years of experience, according to TeamLease Digital. The share of AI talent is expected to rise to 10.6% by 2028.
Retail GCCs currently employ around 7,800 professionals in core AI and data roles, while demand reached 990 positions in 2025. The study assessed 180 GCCs and found that only 22 of the top 50 mega Retail GCCs had established AI capabilities. These centres are now developing AI solutions rather than simply adopting them.
Senior AI talent remains limited
AI professionals with at least 8 years of experience account for just 320 workers in the sector. AI Engineering Leads make up 63% of this pool, or around 202 professionals, with an average of 9 years of experience.
AI and Data Directors account for 22%, or nearly 71 professionals, with an average of 12 years of experience. AI Architects and Principal Scientists make up the remaining 15%, or about 47 professionals, with more than 14 years of experience on average.
GenAI specialists, who have an average of 5 years of experience, are classified separately from this senior talent pool.
Bengaluru dominates AI talent
Bengaluru has around 4,200 AI professionals in Retail GCCs, more than the next 5 cities combined. It also 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 each have fewer than 20 senior AI professionals.
“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, with roles mapped across 7 capability areas and 5 experience groups.
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