India SaaS hiring turns selective in FY26

India’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) sector continued to hire in the first half of the 2025-26 financial year, though recruitment patterns point to a shift towards selective, function-focused hiring rather than broad-based expansion, according to a study by talent solutions firm Careernet.

The report shows that SaaS talent remains heavily concentrated in metro hubs. Chennai accounts for 34% of the country’s SaaS talent base, followed by Bengaluru at 21% and Delhi NCR at 20%. Tier-ll cities are gradually gaining relevance, contributing nearly 4% of overall SaaS talent, indicating early signs of decentralisation beyond traditional technology centres. On the functional front, software engineering and development roles continue to dominate hiring demand, accounting for 38% of total open positions. This reflects sustained investments in product innovation, cloud platforms, and scalable digital architectures. Sales and business development roles made up 13% of open positions, while customer success and support accounted for 8%, highlighting a continued focus on customer acquisition, retention, and monetisation.