India’s technology job market saw strong momentum in 2025, with hiring demand reaching 1.8 million roles, reflecting a 16 percent increase compared to the previous year.
A report by a talent solutions provider said the rise was largely driven by Global Capability Centres and product focused organisations. GCCs made up around 27 percent of total IT hiring demand in 2025, a sharp jump from 15 percent in 2024. Product and SaaS companies continued selective hiring, while IT services and consulting firms recorded moderate growth.
The report also noted a slowdown in startup hiring, which dropped to low single digit levels due to funding moderation.
Mid career professionals with 4 to 10 years of experience accounted for 65 percent of hiring, up from 50 percent in 2024. Entry level hiring stood at 15 percent, as employers focused on candidates who could deliver productivity from day one.
Demand moved strongly toward advanced digital skills. AI ML, cloud engineering, DevOps, and cybersecurity roles saw significantly higher demand than traditional software positions. More than half of total hiring was centred on these emerging capabilities.
Several next generation roles commanded salary premiums ranging from 10 percent to 40 percent. These included Generative AI specialists, MLOps and LLMOps engineers, AI ethics and governance leads, FinOps professionals, cyber threat intelligence analysts, and platform engineering architects.
“AI, cloud and cybersecurity skills saw particularly strong interest, pointing to the increasing complexity of roles being built in India. Overall, this suggests a technology hiring market that is moving steadily up the value curve, with this momentum offering a positive base for 2026,” said Kapil Joshi, CEO of IT Staffing at Quess Corp.
Hiring remained heavily concentrated in Tier 1 cities, which accounted for 88 percent to 90 percent of demand. Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Mumbai, and Delhi NCR led the hiring activity. Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities contributed around 10 percent to 12 percent.
The average time to hire increased to 45 to 60 days in 2025 and extended to 75 to 90 days for niche skills such as AI ML and cybersecurity. Contract roles also rose, accounting for 10 percent to 11 percent of total demand, up from around 8 percent in 2024.
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