India’s tech hiring demand drops to about 1.03 lakh active openings, Xpheno report flags continued slowdown
A report by staffing firm Xpheno says India’s active tech job openings fell 24% year-on-year to around 1.03 lakh in January 2026, with demand close to the second-lowest level since 2021. The downturn reflects prolonged softness in hiring through 2025, even as some pockets such as GCCs show relative resilience.
India’s technology job market has begun 2026 on a weaker note, with a new outlook from staffing firm Xpheno indicating that active tech job openings have fallen sharply compared to the same period last year.
According to a report carried by The Economic Times, active tech job openings declined 24% year-on-year to roughly 1,03,000 roles in January 2026. The report described the level as the second-lowest demand recorded since January 2021, signalling that the hiring chill seen across much of 2025 has extended into the new year.
The report said demand was also slightly lower month-on-month, suggesting there is no broad-based rebound yet. Hiring appetite has softened across levels, with mid-senior and senior hiring seeing sharper pressure, while entry-level hiring showed relatively better resilience in comparison.
IT services firms—traditionally the largest consumers of tech talent—were described as operating under continued demand uncertainty, influenced by cautious global tech spending and volatility in key client markets. This has reduced the sector’s contribution to overall job creation compared with the boom period of early 2022.
At the same time, the report noted that global capability centres (GCCs) were a relative bright spot, with demand rising compared to the previous month and showing better momentum than several other hiring cohorts. This divergence suggests companies may still be selectively adding roles tied to product engineering, platform work, data and core delivery for captive units.
Geographically, a large share of tech hiring demand remains concentrated in the major hubs—Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi-NCR—yet the report said these markets also experienced a large year-on-year decline, reflecting how the slowdown is broad rather than confined to a single city.
For job seekers, the data implies tougher competition for mid-to-senior roles and a greater premium on niche skills, domain depth and demonstrable project outcomes. For employers, the current phase offers an opportunity to upgrade talent quality in select functions, but the pace of overall hiring is likely to stay cautious until demand signals strengthen.