logo
Coimbatore is an ideal destination for mid-sized GCCs, says CII

Coimbatore is an ideal destination for mid-sized GCCs, says CII

The Hindu27-07-2025
The large number of technical education institutions in Coimbatore and Information Technology (IT) space under construction at multiple locations make Coimbatore an ideal location to house mid-sized Global Capability Centres (GCCs), said Prashanth Subramanian, former chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Coimbatore zone.
The CII has launched an initiative to increase the visibility of Coimbatore to attract GCC investments.
There are 30-35 GCCs in the district, each having 100 to 300 seaters. The domain expertise available in Coimbatore in different aspects of manufacturing, the strong presence of academia, and an existing IT eco-system all make Coimbatore an ideal location, he said.
Cost and talent availability are the primary drivers of any GCC set up. Coimbatore can offer both. The local industries can grow in this space and a couple of companies have already taken the lead. 'We need more such companies,' Mr. Prashanth added.
The CII plans to prioritise on local industries by creating the required visibility for them and handholding the interested companies. It also plans to tap into the alumni network of Coimbatore educational institutions. Most of them who have studied in Coimbatore have moved out. They should get the confidence that Coimbatore can be a GCC hub. The executives of Coimbatore companies who travel to other cities or countries should also talk about the capabilities of Coimbatore.
When GCCs set shop here, the talent will get trained in multiple areas of work and an ecosystem will develop here to cater to global standards, he said.
Expansion of Coimbatore airport remains a non-starter and is one of the main challenges that needs to be addressed. Another area that needs focus is strengthening the industry-academia collaboration, Mr. Prashanth added.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Hiring growth in India: Global tech firms ramps up recruitment, domestic majors slow down; AI, cloud drive demand shift, say experts
Hiring growth in India: Global tech firms ramps up recruitment, domestic majors slow down; AI, cloud drive demand shift, say experts

Time of India

time8 hours ago

  • Time of India

Hiring growth in India: Global tech firms ramps up recruitment, domestic majors slow down; AI, cloud drive demand shift, say experts

AI-generated image Even as India's top IT services companies tighten their workforce, global tech giants are ramping up hiring across their Indian operations. The collective employee base of the FAAMNG group- Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, and Google- grew by 16 per cent in India over the past 12 months, adding more than 28,000 net new jobs, according to staffing firm Xpheno, cited by Economic Times. Their total headcount in the country now exceeds 208,000. This growth surpasses the 15 per cent expansion reported till August 2024 and comes at a time when these firms have announced nearly 100,000 job cuts globally, largely concentrated in the US and Europe. 'Even in a tough global environment, India remains a critical hub for talent, particularly in areas like AI and cloud,' said Kamal Karanth, cofounder of Xpheno. 'The hiring trend shows resilience, and AI is emerging as a key driver shaping recruitment patterns.' Over 4,500 positions across FAAMNG's Indian operations remain open, reflecting sustained demand for specialised tech roles. Indian IT firms lose steam In contrast, India's top six IT services players- including TCS, Infosys and Wipro- are facing a hiring slowdown. After registering 22 per cent headcount growth in 2022, the sector saw contractions of 0.2 per cent and 3.1 per cent in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thon Lang Vuc: Comfortable Sofas at Affordable Prices (See Offers) Comfortable Sofa | Search Ads Learn More Undo by Taboola by Taboola By June 2025, their combined workforce showed just 1.3 per cent annual growth, touching 1.62 million. Tata Consultancy Services recently announced 12,000 job cuts at mid and senior levels, citing skill mismatches and project realignment. 'The market is shifting. While traditional roles are being phased out, there's a surge in demand for skills in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and cloud technologies,' said Neeti Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Digital. 'It's a tough transition, but essential for staying relevant. Companies are under pressure to retain only top-performing, future-ready teams.' Recruitment has become highly targeted, with most openings focused on specialised digital skills. Hiring for support roles in legacy systems has seen a marked decline. According to Quess IT Staffing, hiring by major global tech companies in India dipped 3–6 per cent in the last quarter of FY25, but rebounded by 8–10 per cent in the first quarter of FY26. Much of the action is happening through Global Capability Centres (GCCs), where firms are increasingly building AI tools, cloud platforms and digital products. 'Despite global redundancies, companies are expanding in India via their GCCs,' said Kapil Joshi, CEO of Quess IT Staffing. 'They are balancing cost control with innovation, and that means investing in deep tech skills and advanced capabilities.' Experts say the transition will require accelerated skilling efforts to close the talent gap. While traditional IT services hiring may stay muted, India's strategic position as a global innovation hub appears to be strengthening. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . Discover stories of India's leading eco-innovators at Ecopreneur Honours 2025

AI disruptions will be brief as reskilling drives new jobs: Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge
AI disruptions will be brief as reskilling drives new jobs: Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge

Economic Times

time9 hours ago

  • Economic Times

AI disruptions will be brief as reskilling drives new jobs: Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge

ANI Priyank Kharge Disruptions from artificial intelligence (AI) will be brief and new jobs will emerge, Karnataka's IT and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge has said, highlighting the state's large-scale reskilling initiatives are underway to prepare talent for new-age an interview with PTI, Kharge asserted that Karnataka retains a comfortable lead over others in technology, with strong data and performance vectors backing its position. The state encourages innovation and collaboration, ensuring "that any entrepreneur or corporation who dreams of making it big globally, starts from Karnataka", he noted. On the issue of disruptions due to AI, the minister said, Nipuna Karnataka, the state's large-scale reskilling and upskilling initiative, aims at safeguarding and future-proofing its talent pool."While there might be certain job losses, new jobs will be that is why we need a massive reskilling and upskilling programme. So, there will be disruption, but the disruption will be for a brief while, until we are able to reskill and upskill people," he Karnataka is a Rs 300 crore reskilling initiative, industry-driven and industry-focused, with ambitious targets to train talent at scale, he added. In the coming financial year, the state government aims to skill individuals in key areas, like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital forensics, and other technologies, in line with the global tech demands. "We intend to scale over 5,00,000 people in the coming financial year, in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital forensics, and anything that the industry might need. So, we are closely talking to them through our skill council for emerging technologies, taking their feedback, taking their curriculum, and seeing how we can ensure that we give the most affordable and most talented human resources for them."And this programme is just not catering to the local ecosystem, we are catering to the global ecosystem also," Kharge said Karnataka retains its lead over others, and data ranging from IT exports to startups and GCCs play, underscores its competitive strengths."We are far ahead of the curve when it comes to our neighbours or neighbouring states. So, while we love competition, we are not afraid of it. It also helps us pull up our socks," he many as 20,000 startups are registered with the state government, he said, adding that of 110 unicorns, more than 45 are from Bengaluru."We contribute 21% of the national bioeconomy, and 65% of defence electronics manufacturing happens in Karnataka. And GCCs, we have close to over 800 GCCs and their units, totalling about 1,500," Kharge same trend is evident in office space demand, real estate leasing, and GCC momentum."Last year, we gobbled up close to around 47% of the entire country's real estate for GCCs. This year, just in the last six months, 13.1 million square feet has been given only for GCCs. So, where is the competition? I don't see that," Kharge minister emphasised that the state's policies are backed by strong, actionable outcomes like the recent Quantum Roadmap."We are just not announcing mere policies for the sake of announcing them. So, when we keep the Karnataka quantum roadmap in front, people believe is because over the years, we have managed to build a strong foundation of skills. "We have topped that with incubators, and we have topped up with centres of excellence across sectors. So, I run more than 25 centres of excellence from agritech to space tech. And through these, we are innovating and inventing. On top of that, we have put budgets. On top of that, we put policies," Kharge said. Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Zomato delivered, but did the other listed unicorns? US tariff hike to hit Indian exports, may push RBI towards rate cuts Will TCS layoffs open the floodgates of mass firing at Indian IT firms? Indian IT firms never reveal the truth hiding behind 'strong' deal wins Is Bajaj Finance facing its HDFC Bank moment? Tata Motors' INR38k crore Iveco buy: Factors that can make investors nervous Stock Radar: Strides Pharma stock hits fresh 52-week high in July; will the rally continue in August? F&O Radar| Deploy Short Strangle in Nifty to gain from Theta decay For investors who can think beyond Trump: 5 large-cap stocks with an upside potential of up to 36%

AI disruptions will be brief as reskilling drives new jobs: Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge
AI disruptions will be brief as reskilling drives new jobs: Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge

Time of India

time9 hours ago

  • Time of India

AI disruptions will be brief as reskilling drives new jobs: Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge

Disruptions from artificial intelligence (AI) will be brief and new jobs will emerge, Karnataka's IT and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge has said, highlighting the state's large-scale reskilling initiatives are underway to prepare talent for new-age an interview with PTI, Kharge asserted that Karnataka retains a comfortable lead over others in technology, with strong data and performance vectors backing its state encourages innovation and collaboration, ensuring "that any entrepreneur or corporation who dreams of making it big globally, starts from Karnataka", he the issue of disruptions due to AI, the minister said, Nipuna Karnataka, the state's large-scale reskilling and upskilling initiative, aims at safeguarding and future-proofing its talent pool."While there might be certain job losses, new jobs will be that is why we need a massive reskilling and upskilling programme. So, there will be disruption, but the disruption will be for a brief while, until we are able to reskill and upskill people," he Karnataka is a Rs 300 crore reskilling initiative, industry-driven and industry-focused, with ambitious targets to train talent at scale, he the coming financial year, the state government aims to skill individuals in key areas, like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital forensics, and other technologies, in line with the global tech demands "We intend to scale over 5,00,000 people in the coming financial year, in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital forensics, and anything that the industry might need. So, we are closely talking to them through our skill council for emerging technologies, taking their feedback, taking their curriculum, and seeing how we can ensure that we give the most affordable and most talented human resources for them."And this programme is just not catering to the local ecosystem, we are catering to the global ecosystem also," Kharge said Karnataka retains its lead over others, and data ranging from IT exports to startups and GCCs play, underscores its competitive strengths."We are far ahead of the curve when it comes to our neighbours or neighbouring states. So, while we love competition, we are not afraid of it. It also helps us pull up our socks," he many as 20,000 startups are registered with the state government, he said, adding that of 110 unicorns, more than 45 are from Bengaluru."We contribute 21% of the national bioeconomy, and 65% of defence electronics manufacturing happens in Karnataka. And GCCs, we have close to over 800 GCCs and their units, totalling about 1,500," Kharge same trend is evident in office space demand, real estate leasing, and GCC momentum."Last year, we gobbled up close to around 47% of the entire country's real estate for GCCs. This year, just in the last six months, 13.1 million square feet has been given only for GCCs. So, where is the competition? I don't see that," Kharge minister emphasised that the state's policies are backed by strong, actionable outcomes like the recent Quantum Roadmap."We are just not announcing mere policies for the sake of announcing them. So, when we keep the Karnataka quantum roadmap in front, people believe is because over the years, we have managed to build a strong foundation of skills."We have topped that with incubators, and we have topped up with centres of excellence across sectors. So, I run more than 25 centres of excellence from agritech to space tech. And through these, we are innovating and inventing. On top of that, we have put budgets. On top of that, we put policies," Kharge said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store