India’s semiconductor design global capability centers (GCCs) witnessed strong hiring growth in Q1 2026, with open job roles reaching 3,549 by March, according to a report released by Careernet on Thursday.
The report highlighted that small-scale GCCs made up 50% of the centers and played a major role in driving hiring momentum. Along with Bengaluru, Hyderabad emerged as a fast-growing hub for semiconductor talent and expansion.
Semiconductor design GCCs currently account for nearly 5% of India’s total GCC ecosystem and have recorded a growth rate of 7.2% over the past 2 decades. The demand remained heavily focused on high-skill VLSI and software-related roles.
Hiring activity gradually picked up during the quarter after a slower beginning. Open positions stood at 2,426 in January, rose to 3,077 in February, and reached a peak of 3,549 in March. February recorded the highest month-on-month increase in hiring activity.
The study analysed hiring trends across 79 semiconductor design GCCs, covering nearly 180 GCC units and a workforce of more than 1.1 lakh professionals. It also noted that while nearly 50% of semiconductor GCCs still operate from a single location, many companies are now expanding into multi-location models with operations across 3 or more centers in India.
“For years, semiconductor hiring in India was largely led by a handful of large GCCs. What we are seeing now is a shift—small scale and mid-sized centers are stepping up and building teams more proactively, rather than waiting for demand to stabilize,” said Neelabh Shukla, Chief Business Officer, Careernet.
“While strategic decisions continue to be anchored in the Americas, execution is increasingly moving to JAPAC, and within JAPAC, to India. The rise of Hyderabad alongside Bengaluru reflects this shift as companies expand into newer talent hubs,” he added.
The report further stated that VLSI roles accounted for 37%-45% of hiring demand, while system and application software roles contributed 39%-46%. Business operations and IT infrastructure roles made up 10%-18% of total demand.
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