IT hiring falls to 28-month low, but demand for AI talent remains strong

India’s technology hiring market has reached a 28-month low, with direct campus hiring remaining 30–35% below historical levels. The slowdown is being driven by a combination of global macroeconomic uncertainty, growing adoption of AI to automate routine tasks, and the industry’s continued normalization following the hiring surge of 2021 and 2022.

Our Chief Business Officer, Neelabh Shukla, said, “While hiring activity has moderated, this reflects a structural recalibration of demand rather than a broad-based contraction of the technology sector.”

Despite the moderation in overall hiring, demand remains strong across emerging technology domains, particularly AI and machine learning, cloud computing, and cybersecurity.

“This imbalance is particularly evident in cybersecurity, where emerging domains are facing acute talent shortages. Ultimately, what we are witnessing is not simply a slowdown in hiring, but a shift in demand toward specialized, future-ready skills that are increasingly critical to business growth and resilience,” he said.