Companies including Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Novartis, Epsilon and EQ India told ET that campus hiring is a key part of their growth and people strategy, and that they’re bullish on bringing in young talent with fresh perspectives, a focus on innovation and having skills in emerging technologies like data science and AI.
GCCs gained popularity in campus placements in the last season — for the Class of 2024 — when they stepped in to partially fill the gap left by a sharp drop in IT/ITeS hiring. These companies say they are now seeing many more campuses reach out to them. The main draws: attractive salaries, benefits and career growth.
“GCCs plan to hire 50% more freshers compared to last year. They are extending up to 30% higher salary offers than homegrown IT services firms,” said Monica Jamwal, managing director, talent solutions at workforce management platform Talent500, part of ANSR that helps MNCs set up GCCs in India.
“More freshers are accepting offers from GCCs due to higher joining pay, timely commencement of employment and a broader range of benefits compared to traditional IT giants. GCCs typically provide a more dynamic and innovative work environment,” Jamwal said.
Ashish Garg, head of talent acquisition at Wells Fargo India and the Philippines, said the GCC of the US financial services company has seen a significantly increased outreach by colleges and universities across India this year. “There are opportunities for personal and professional development and career growth and to contribute and make an impact on a global scale,” he said.
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Wells Fargo has been recruiting from institutes including IITs, IISc, IIITs, NITs, IIMs, Birla Institute of Technology and Science and the Indian Statistical Institute. It is adding new campuses to its existing list of 75 to meet specific skill needs. “This year has witnessed an increased focus on recruiting new-age skills such as AI, ML and Data Science,” said Garg.With the thrust on talent development and focus on new skills/ technologies in evolving fields like data analytics, AI and digital transformation, Novartis Corporate Center India has carved out a niche at pharma firm Novartis, said Anjali Rao, country people and organisation head at Novartis in India. It is currently putting a lot of focus on early talent recruitment.
“We are specifically targeting fresh graduates with specialised skills in critical areas such as data science, AI, biomedical sciences and procurement,” Rao said.
Mamta Sharma, head of HR for JPMorgan Chase’s India Corporate Centers, told ET that it recruits for a diverse array of roles, including software engineering, analytics, AI/ML, quantitative research, risk and compliance and finance. “We continuously evaluate and expand our reach to include a diverse mix of institutions, to align with evolving business needs and market trends,” added Sharma.
Vijayaraj Palaniraj, head of talent acquisition at EQ India, said the GCC of the UK-based share registrar is bullish on campus hiring. “For our platform needs, we explore engineering colleges; for our retirement solutions, we explore colleges that provide actuarial courses and so on. We see a lot more interest from campuses.”
Epsilon India recruits from top universities, said senior vice president – HR Sonali De Sarker. It also provides tailored learning and development programmes and has strategic partnerships with universities and other institutions to provide specialised training, ensuring a strong pipeline of talent, Sarker said.
Campuses too are excited about the GCC opportunity. The number of GCCs set up in India has increased to 1,700 in the fiscal year 2024 ended in March, employing more than 1.9 million people, as per the latest Nasscom-Zinnov India GCC landscape report. By 2030, the number of GCCs is expected to reach 2,100-2,200, with their headcount rising to 2.5-2.8 million.
