Hiring activity in India’s semiconductor design global capability centers (GCC) surged in the first quarter of 2026, with open positions reaching 3,549 by March, as per a report by Careernet. Small-scale GCCs, comprising 50% of the centers, were at the forefront of hiring, with Hyderabad emerging as a key hub alongside Bengaluru.
Semiconductor design GCCs, representing about 5% of India’s total GCC landscape, have shown a 7.2% growth over two decades, with a demand focus on high-skill VLSI and software roles. The hiring trend displayed a steady increase after a slow start, with February marking the highest month-on-month rise and March witnessing the peak in open positions.
Nearly half of the semiconductor GCCs still operate from a single location, but the overall distribution of approximately 180 units indicates a shift towards multi-location models, with many organizations expanding across three or more centers in India. Careernet’s report analyzed talent demand in the top 50 semiconductor design GCCs, highlighting a shift from erratic hiring practices to a more organized and phased workforce expansion strategy.
According to Neelabh Shukla, Chief Business Officer at Careernet, there is a noticeable change in semiconductor hiring dynamics in India, with smaller and mid-sized centers taking a more proactive approach to team building. The demand for VLSI roles ranged from 37% to 45%, while system and application software positions constituted 39% to 46% of the hiring demand. Business operations and IT infrastructure roles made up 10% to 18% of the hiring requirements.
