India’s tech hiring cools: Active job openings drop 24% YoY, report says

India’s technology job market has begun 2026 with subdued demand, as active tech job openings declined about 24% year-on-year to nearly 1.03 lakh roles, according to staffing firm Xpheno’s January outlook. The figure signals that the hiring slowdown seen through 2025 has carried into the new year.

The report describes the downturn as prolonged, with the sector struggling to regain the momentum it had in early 2022, when openings were far higher. While month-on-month movement was marginal, the broader message is that recovery has been uneven and slower than many had anticipated.

Hiring trends also appear split by seniority. The report notes softer demand for mid-senior and senior roles, while some entry-level hiring showed a modest improvement compared with the previous month—suggesting companies may be selectively adding junior talent while staying cautious on higher-cost additions.

By segment, traditional IT services firms—often the biggest consumers of tech talent—were indicated as seeing weaker demand amid uncertainty in global technology spending. In contrast, global capability centres (GCCs) were cited as a relatively brighter spot, with demand holding up better than other categories.

The report also highlights that demand remains concentrated in major hubs such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi-NCR, but that these locations have not been immune to the overall slowdown. Companies are increasingly emphasising targeted roles tied to business outcomes rather than broad-based volume hiring.

For jobseekers, the shift means competition may remain intense, particularly for generalist profiles. For employers, it reinforces the need to balance cost controls with capability building in high-priority areas, as tech talent planning becomes more selective and closely tied to near-term revenue and delivery pipelines.