India tech hiring is splitting in two: demand up 10%, entry-level softening

Two things are true about Indian tech hiring right now, and they point in opposite directions.

Overall tech demand is up roughly 10% year on year. But entry-level IT roles are softening — the ladder is getting harder to step onto even as the building gets taller.

The numbers

IT job postings are recovering, slowly. August 2026 is estimated at about 1.09 lakh openings, up 17% from June’s low. A recovery, but from a floor rather than to a peak.

AI and ML roles are the standout, with hiring up sharply and now taking a growing share of even entry-level positions. Where fresher hiring exists, it is increasingly for these roles rather than for traditional service-delivery ones.

What is actually being hired for

Skill-first hiring is now the norm rather than the exception. In highest demand:

• AI and machine learning
• Cloud
• Cybersecurity
• Data engineering
• DevOps
• Full-stack development

CGPA matters less than it used to. Demonstrable work — projects, contributions, a portfolio someone can open — is doing the filtering that marks used to do.

Where the growth actually is

Much of the white-collar growth is coming from non-IT sectors: BPO and ITES, hospitality, insurance, healthcare. And Global Capability Centres keep expanding as a source of specialised roles.

What to do with this

If you are a fresher in Assam looking at a thin entry-level IT market, the honest read is that the traditional path is narrower and the skills path is wider. Every one of the six skills listed above can be learned free — our free AI learning guide is a place to start, and the robotics guide covers the hardware side.

Sources: IANS / foundit, Xpheno via Whalesbook, Naukri JobSpeak, AccioJob, taggd.