Mumbai: Mid-career professionals are driving hiring at healthcare global capability centres (GCCs) this year, accounting for nearly 93 per cent of demand as the sector is projected to generate 67,000 job openings in 2026, a report said on Friday.
Staffing and workforce solutions firm Quess Corp, in its India Healthcare GCC Outlook 2026 report, said the sector is projected to generate 67,000 job openings in 2026, with nearly 93 per cent of demand concentrated among professionals with 3-12 years of experience, reflecting a growing preference for specialised, mid-career talent.
The Quess Corp’s ‘India Healthcare GCC Outlook 2026’ report is based on secondary data, job postings on multiple job sites and information available on public domain.
The findings come as India’s healthcare GCC ecosystem expands to 155 GCC organisations employing approximately 3.2 lakh professionals, with companies increasingly moving beyond traditional support functions into AI, scientific research, clinical development and digital health.
The nature of this hiring surge is changing as companies move beyond traditional support functions, demand is shifting towards specialised talent in AI, data analytics, clinical research and regulatory functions.
However, the report found a growing talent crunch in these areas, with the availability of professionals struggling to keep pace with hiring requirements.
Geographically, the report found that Bengaluru and Hyderabad continued to anchor India’s healthcare GCC ecosystem, together accounting for 62.2 per cent of the existing workforce and 58.4 per cent of projected hiring demand in 2026.
“India’s healthcare GCCs… hiring nearly doubled last year, yet the defining issue is the talent gap. The AI and data space has just 1.6 professionals for every opening, and close to 93 per cent of demand is now for mid-career specialists who understand both technology and the regulated healthcare environment. As fresher hiring slows, the industry needs to start building tomorrow’s specialists today,” Quess IT Solutions CEO Kapil Joshi added.
