Standard Chartered Plc forecasts a redistribution of its global workforce due to the implementation of artificial intelligence, yet anticipates hiring growth in markets such as India, which hosts the bank's largest global centers of excellence.
Tanuj Kapilashrami, Head of Group Operations, stated in an interview with Bloomberg TV's Paul Allen on Wednesday that even considering India—the bank's largest GCE—they expect an increase in personnel numbers in these regions as the company increasingly utilizes more complex functions through its shared service centers, including those in India.
Kapilashrami specified that the British lender employs about 22,000 people in its so-called global centers of excellence in India, which support the bank's operations worldwide. The firm's total global staff exceeds 81,000, with approximately 50,000 employees having undergone AI training.
Tanuj Kapilashrami took up the position of Group Operations Director in May of this year and has over twenty years of experience in the global financial services sector. Before joining Standard Chartered, she worked at HSBC Holdings Plc.
India has become a key hub for GCEs because global companies leverage its extensive talent pool in technology, engineering, and financial services, making these centers a critical element of global finance. While low-skilled positions are being moved to places like the Philippines, large campuses in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, and Mumbai house a significant number of quantitative method specialists, risk analysts, investment, and technology staff. India's growing capabilities in AI strengthen its role as a center for banks aiming to develop and implement AI in their operations.
Kapilashrami noted that Standard Chartered is focused on establishing guidelines for AI implementation as this technology scales among its personnel. The bank announced in May plans to reduce nearly 8,000 support roles over the next four years, becoming one of the first global lenders to define how AI will impact staffing reductions.
Global banks are increasingly using AI to automate routine processes, detect fraud, and improve credit decision-making, while also exploring generative AI for customer service and internal operations. Kapilashrami added that Standard Chartered is hiring more AI-focused talent, and the bank is already observing increased productivity due to AI adoption and improved cost-to-income ratios.



