India has firmly established itself as a global hotspot for tech hiring, driven by the rapid expansion of Global Capability Centres (GCCs), a deep pool of skilled professionals, and a favourable cost environment. Multinational companies are increasingly choosing India to build and scale their technology teams, with cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune emerging as leading hubs for innovation and digital development. This shift marks India’s transition from a traditional outsourcing destination to a strategic centre for research, development, and long-term growth.
According to the “Global Tech Markets:
Top Talent Locations 2025” report by Colliers, India has emerged as a leading hub for technology talent. Indian cities are outperforming many traditional global tech hubs, particularly in areas such as talent acquisition, talent density (measured on a per capita basis), and demand for office space leasing, a strong indicator of business and employment growth in the sector.
Talent concentration in India’s tech hubs
Indian cities are increasingly drawing global attention for their large and rapidly expanding pools of technology talent. Leading the charge is Bengaluru, which ranks as the top city in the country, with nearly twice the number of tech professionals as Hyderabad, its closest domestic peer. This significant lead underscores Bengaluru’s continued dominance as India’s premier technology hub.
Beyond Bengaluru and Hyderabad, other major Indian metropolitan areas, including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Pune, also feature prominently in the global rankings. These cities are recognised not only for the sheer volume of tech talent but also for their favourable age demographics, cost efficiency, and growing startup ecosystems, all of which position them competitively among the world’s leading technology destinations.
The “Global Tech Markets:
Top Talent Locations 2025” report, which evaluated over 200 markets worldwide, reveals that Indian cities are emerging as global leaders in talent acquisition, talent density, office space leasing, and the overall ease of sourcing skilled tech professionals.
The rankings highlight India’s dominance in the global tech labour market, with four Indian cities securing spots in the top five and all six evaluated Indian markets ranking within the top 10 globally. This performance underscores India’s strategic advantage in providing both scale and quality of workforce, making it a preferred destination for global tech firms, startups, and investors alike.
This trend points to an increasing clustering of tech talent in India and its rise as the dominant global hub. Six of the top seven markets with the highest number of hires by the top 15 tech companies in the past year are in India, reflecting a strong foreign hiring focus due to the country’s lower cost of living, affordable wages, and large talent pools. These six Indian markets account for 72% of all hires in the region over the past year.
India’s Ranking in the APAC region and globally
The report reinforces India’s prominence in technology talent, placing its metropolitan cities as dominant forces in the global technology talent landscape. In the APAC regional rankings, Bengaluru outpaces traditional tech hubs like Beijing, Tokyo, and Seoul in terms of workforce depth and quality. Hyderabad follows closely, scoring 4.0 in both talent acquisition and labour index categories.
| Regional Ranking of Indian Cities in the APAC region | ||||
| Cities | Overall Score | Talent acquisition Ranking | VC funding
Ranking |
Labour index
Index |
| Beijing | 3.5 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 1.5 |
| Bengaluru | 3.4 | 4.5 | 2.3 | 5.0 |
| Tokyo | 3.2 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 1.5 |
| Shanghai | 3.0 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 1.5 |
| Seoul | 2.9 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 1.5 |
| Hyderabad | 2.6 | 4.0 | 1.8 | 4.0 |
| Pune | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 3.0 |
| Chennai | 2.2 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 3.5 |
| Mumbai | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Delhi | 1.9 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
India’s major cities offer a compelling mix of scale, skill diversity, and cost-efficiency, making them prime destinations for global technology firms. Each metro contributes unique strengths to the country’s overall tech ecosystem, reinforcing India’s position as a leading global talent hub.
Bengaluru’s strong research institutions, deep talent pipelines, and vibrant startup ecosystem have made it attractive to both global tech giants and emerging enterprises. Hyderabad is also rapidly becoming a centre of excellence for cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI). With strong government backing, strategic investments from multinational corporations, and a growing base of specialised professionals, Hyderabad is positioning itself as a vital link in the global innovation network for next-generation technologies.
Hiring trends and talent acquisitions
A comparative analysis of leading Indian cities based on four parameters — overall market score, talent acquisition, venture capital (VC) funding, and labour index — shows Bengaluru leading in most categories.
Market trends indicate that sectors such as technology, manufacturing, health care, and engineering are driving strong hiring intent in India. Open job postings are a key sign of market vitality, reflecting real-time demand for skilled talent across regions. Several Indian cities are seeing high hiring activity, signalling sustained growth and expansion in the tech sector.
Notably, Pune, Chennai, Mumbai, and the Delhi NCR region have posted high volumes of active tech job listings, showing strong demand dynamics and expanding talent ecosystems. These cities continue to attract a mix of global enterprises, startups, and IT services firms, all competing for skilled professionals in areas such as software engineering, cloud infrastructure, AI, and cybersecurity. This trend also mirrors patterns in leading APAC markets like Singapore and Shanghai, underlining the competitive standing of Indian metros in the broader Asia-Pacific talent landscape.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 62.5% of India’s population is within the working-age group of 15 to 59 years, placing it among the youngest working-class nations in the world. This demographic advantage is particularly important in sectors driven by innovation, adaptability, and digital fluency.
India’s youthful workforce is not just large but increasingly skilled, becoming a major driver of the nation’s digital economy and boosting growth in areas such as information technology, e-commerce, fintech, artificial intelligence, and other emerging sectors.
Tech talent and India’s GCC growth
India’s corporate landscape is undergoing a transformation, largely fuelled by the rapid rise in Global Capability Centres (GCCs). These centres, set up by various multinational corporations, handle verticals such as business processes, IT services, R&D, innovation hubs, and customer service. Over time, GCCs have evolved from cost-saving units to strategic hubs for innovation and value creation.
As of 2022, India accounted for 55% of the world’s operating GCCs. Their number in India reached 1,580 by 2023 and is expected to exceed 1,900 by 2025 and 2,400 by 2030. With India’s capabilities, the total could even surpass 2,550. This surge has further increased demand for skilled professionals, cementing India’s role as a global hub for technology and knowledge-based roles.
Conclusion
India’s rise as a global tech talent powerhouse is reshaping the competitive dynamics of the global technology sector. With its strong talent pipeline, cost advantages, favourable demographics, and growing innovation hubs, India has moved beyond being a backend support destination to stand at the forefront of global tech transformation.
Bengaluru and Hyderabad are leading this shift, while other metros such as Pune, Chennai, Mumbai, and Delhi NCR reinforce India’s strategic advantage in the digital economy. The surge in hiring, driven largely by the expansion of GCCs, reflects the deepening confidence of multinational corporations in India’s capabilities. As top-tier investments continue and the workforce remains adaptable and skilled, India is well-positioned to sustain and expand its leadership in the global tech talent landscape in the decade ahead.
