Bengaluru: Bengaluru has strengthened its position as India’s artificial intelligence (AI) capital for retail Global Capability Centres (GCCs), accounting for the country’s largest concentration of AI professionals, according to a new report by TeamLease Digital.

The report, The Retail Pivot: Consumer GCCs Find Their India Edge, states that Bengaluru is home to 83,900 AI professionals, representing 30.6 per cent of the country’s AI talent. Delhi NCR follows with 66,500 professionals, while Hyderabad has 44,950.

Retail giants drive AI innovation

The report reveals that nearly 54 per cent of AI talent employed by retail GCCs—around 4,200 of the sector’s 7,800 AI professionals—is based in Bengaluru.

The city serves as the technology and AI hub for global retail companies including Walmart Global Tech, Target, Amazon, Tesco and Lowe’s. These centres are developing advanced solutions in Generative AI (GenAI), personalised shopping, intelligent search, supply chain optimisation and product engineering.

India currently hosts 180 retail GCCs employing more than 2.72 lakh professionals, reflecting the country’s growing importance in global retail technology.

Growing demand exposes talent shortage

While AI adoption is accelerating, the report highlights a shortage of experienced professionals. AI workforce penetration in retail GCCs has more than doubled from 2.1 per cent in 2022 to 4.8 per cent in 2025 and is projected to reach 7.2 per cent in 2026.

However, only 320 professionals with more than eight years of AI experience are available across all 180 retail GCCs, creating a significant leadership gap.

The report also notes that retail GCCs hired around 28,500 professionals between May 2025 and May 2026, with more than 90 per cent recruited from outside the retail sector.

AI expertise commands premium salaries

TeamLease Digital CEO Neeti Sharma said India has evolved beyond being a delivery destination and is increasingly becoming the place where global AI-led retail strategies are designed and developed.

The report also found that AI and machine learning professionals command significantly higher salaries than many other technology roles. Median annual compensation reaches ₹46 lakh for professionals with three to six years of experience, while the top AI experts with over 15 years of experience can earn more than ₹1.2 crore annually