The technology job market across permanent, temporary and contractual roles is expected to record a strong rebound in 2026, with hiring projected to rise by 12 to 15 percent in India. Sustained expansion across IT services, start-ups, Global Capability Centers (GCCs) and non-tech sectors is likely to add around 1,25,000 new technology roles during the year.
A structural shift is underway in technology hiring. Roles in artificial intelligence, data engineering and cybersecurity have moved decisively from experimental and discretionary investments to core organisational priorities. Demand for these skills has grown by 51 percent, underlining their central role in business transformation. Around 40 percent of large enterprises have already operationalised generative AI pilots, while GCCs have elevated cybersecurity to a board-level mandate. Non-tech industries are also accelerating automation and building cross-functional technology teams at scale.
In 2025 alone, the technology talent gap widened sharply to 44 percent, intensifying competition for skilled professionals. Median compensation packages rose by 18 percent compared to 2024, reflecting a sustained talent war across critical digital skills.
Tech hiring trends across IT services, start-ups and GCCs
The IT and IT services sector witnessed a modest but steady recovery in 2025 after a prolonged period of caution. Hiring momentum improved for AI engineering, cloud modernisation, data platforms and cybersecurity roles, even as overall volumes remained selective and attrition levels stayed elevated. Mid-tier and specialist IT firms drove much of the hiring activity, while large service providers focused on capability-led additions rather than volume-based recruitment.
Campus hiring showed early signs of confidence returning to the sector, with intake rising by 12 percent over calendar year 2024. This indicated renewed investment in early-career talent pipelines as companies prepared for medium-term growth.
The start-up ecosystem also gained traction during 2025, led by demand from deep-tech, fintech, health-tech and SaaS companies. While funding conditions remained selective, organisations with clearly defined AI, platform or cybersecurity strategies expanded their engineering and data teams.
Demand rose by around 45 percent for machine learning engineers, data engineers, full-stack developers with AI integration capabilities and cloud security specialists. As many start-ups transitioned from prototype development to commercial rollout, specialist compensation increased by 15 percent due to intense competition from IT services firms, GCCs and large enterprises.
GCCs continued to remain a major engine of technology hiring, with demand for tech roles rising by 20 percent compared to calendar year 2024. As 2026 approaches, enterprises across IT services, start-ups and GCCs are expected to scale hiring for niche skills as they move from controlled pilots to full-scale deployment of AI and digital platforms.
Sanketh Chengappa, Director and Business Head, Professional Staffing, Adecco India, said hiring in the IT and IT services sector showed early signs of stabilisation through 2025. After a cautious phase in 2023 and 2024, demand began to rebuild in areas linked to AI engineering, cloud transformation, cybersecurity, data platforms and platform modernisation. Campus intake also improved as companies restarted structured early-career programmes.
Rising demand for tech roles in non-tech industries
Technology hiring strengthened significantly in non-tech sectors during 2025 as organisations moved beyond basic digitisation and embedded AI and data capabilities into core operations. Industries such as banking and financial services, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, logistics, energy and telecom emerged as major contributors, together accounting for around 42 percent of tech-aligned hiring.
Demand in these sectors focused on roles supporting automation, analytics, cyber resilience and data platform expansion. In the GCC landscape, non-tech players across government, financial services, aviation, energy and retail recorded hiring growth of around 30 percent, driven by national digital transformation and cybersecurity mandates.
Freshers and entry-level professionals saw demand rise by 18 percent compared to calendar year 2024 as companies built foundational AI, machine learning and cybersecurity support layers. Most openings were concentrated in data engineering support, annotation and model operations, cloud administration and Level-1 security monitoring roles. Entry-level compensation increased by 12 percent.
Mid-level hiring intensified as organisations shifted from experimentation to enterprise-wide AI deployment. Companies actively recruited applied machine learning engineers, data architects, full-stack developers with AI integration skills, cyber analysts and threat hunters. This segment accounted for about 35 percent of all technology hiring, with compensation inflation of 18 percent across priority roles.
Leadership hiring also accelerated, rising by around 22 percent compared to 2024. Organisations increasingly recognised the need for dedicated AI and security leadership, driving growth of approximately 18 percent year-on-year in mandates for Chief AI Officers, Chief Data Officers, Chief Information Security Officers and senior engineering heads.
Talent shortages
Adecco’s demand-supply mapping points to severe talent shortages across key technology sectors, with the sharpest gaps seen in roles that require cross-disciplinary expertise combining deep technical skills with domain, regulatory and business knowledge. The talent deficit is highest in IT and ITES, ranging between 55 and 60 percent, particularly for product design specialists, senior data scientists, cloud and cybersecurity architects, full stack developers, AI and machine learning engineers, SAP consultants and cloud engineers.
Global Capability Centers face a talent gap of 40 to 45 percent, with shortages concentrated in senior cloud architects, IT business management leaders, senior data scientists, tool engineers, full stack developers, SAP consultants and UI and UX designers. BFSI and fintech firms report a deficit of 43 to 45 percent, driven by demand for cloud engineers, cybersecurity specialists, big data analysts, IoT configuration engineers and legacy system experts such as AS/400 and mainframe engineers.
The telecom sector continues to see a talent gap of around 45 percent across advanced roles including 5G and 6G network engineers, embedded software and firmware engineers, RF specialists, VLSI design engineers and automation testers. Logistics, energy and utilities face a similar challenge, with a 46 percent deficit in skills such as SAP consulting, RPA development, PI system engineering, GIS, drilling data analytics and edge computing.
The analysis highlights a persistent gender imbalance in advanced technology roles. Women account for around 32 percent of technology hiring in India, with representation dropping to about 20 percent in AI roles and 17 percent in cybersecurity. Data and analytics functions show relatively better gender diversity at around 30 percent, particularly in markets where structured diversity hiring programmes are in place.
RAJANI BABURAJAN
