A sharp change in US visa rules is pushing global technology giants to expand their workforce in India at a faster pace.
Major US tech firms including Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, and Google together added over 32,000 new employees in India in 2025. This marks an 18 percent year on year rise in hiring, taking their combined India headcount to 214,000, according to data from staffing firm Xpheno accessed by a business platform.
The surge reflects growing demand for specialised Indian talent, especially in areas linked to artificial intelligence.
“The net headcount growth of the cohort for 2025 is the highest over the last 3 years period,” said Kamal Karanth, co founder of Xpheno.
Hiring remains selective. Data from Xpheno and TeamLease Digital shows active job openings across these firms stand between 3,000 and 5,000. Neeti Sharma, chief executive of TeamLease Digital, said hiring is focused on targeted roles rather than general positions.
In 2025, demand was strongest for AI and ML operations, data engineering, analytics, cloud, cybersecurity, and governance roles. While overall headcount growth remains measured, demand for these skills rose by nearly 25 to 30 percent.
“Demand is majorly concentrated on high value, specialised tech skills rather than legacy support functions, reflecting strategic shifts toward innovation and emerging tech adoption,” Sharma said.
Karanth added that AI’s full impact on hiring is still evolving. “The changes in hiring, owing to AI, will be evident in the next 2 to 3 year period,” he said.
The hiring push coincides with tighter H 1B visa rules in the US. In 2025, the US administration introduced a $100,000 fee on new visa applications and adjusted the lottery to favor high skilled and high wage workers. Historically, 70 to 75 percent of these visas went to Indian applicants.
Karanth said factors like potential service tariffs, higher H 1B costs, and possible HIRE Act changes have led firms to rethink India talent plans. “The skill and cost arbitrages that India offers through local talent engagement, is definitely lucrative compared to local talent costs,” he said.
Investment commitments underline this shift. Google announced a $15 billion AI hub in Visakhapatnam, expected to create over 100,000 jobs in 5 years. Microsoft pledged $17.5 billion for cloud and AI growth. Amazon committed $35 billion over 5 years, aiming to add 1 million jobs by 2030.
OpenAI announced plans to open its first India office in New Delhi in August 2025. Meta, Apple, Microsoft, and Google also expanded offices in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Looking ahead, experts expect Big Tech hiring in India to grow by 16 to 20 percent in 2026, even as overall IT hiring stays modest. Sharma said hiring will remain capability led, focused on AI, data platforms, cloud infrastructure, and security.
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