The number of active tech job positions in India remains low, with current openings being the second lowest in six years, as reported by the specialist staffing firm Xpheno.
As of January 2026, there are 103,000 active job openings, a decline of 24 percent from 136,000 during the same period last year. Although the figure for 2026 is slightly better than the 102,000 recorded in January 2024, it is significantly lower than the 262,000 openings four years ago, when the pandemic was subsiding. The current demand volume has decreased by 60 percent from the peak demand observed in January 2022.
In addition to the overall decline in volume, the tech sector has also lost its status as the primary contributor to job creation. In 2022, the non-tech sector surpassed the tech sector as the leading contributor to total active jobs and maintained this position for over three years. Since then, the tech sector has only exceeded the 50 percent contribution mark on two occasions.
“When challenges and adversities emerged in the latter half of 2022, the tech sector experienced the most rapid and severe rollback. Active demand plummeted by 50 percent to reach 133,000 in January 2023, setting the sector on a downward trajectory that has proven difficult to reverse. Despite a few brief periods of recovery, the overall decline persists, and the prospects for regaining previous volumes appear bleak,” stated Kamal Karanth, cofounder of Xpheno.
Data from Xpheno indicates that job openings across various levels have decreased compared to a year ago. Entry-level positions have fallen by 18 percent, while mid-senior and senior roles have decreased by 12 percent and 22 percent, respectively.
The current demand for tech talent from global capability centres (GCCs), which stands at 17,000, represents 16 percent of the total demand and has increased by 13 percent since December. Overall, the demand volume from GCCs has risen by 7 percent compared to the previous year. In terms of function, core tech and engineering roles account for the majority of active demand, contributing 58 percent. However, the demand for tech and engineering talent has decreased by 37 percent.
Last month, Business Standard reported that the services industry remains hindered by macroeconomic uncertainties and a lack of clarity regarding the deal landscape, particularly concerning new large contracts exceeding $75 million. Furthermore, the effects of automation, with machines writing code, alongside a heightened emphasis on employers to enhance productivity and efficiency, have also led to a significant decline in fresh hiring.
In contrast, GCCs are anticipated to outpace traditional information technology (IT) service providers in workforce expansion during this financial year, as companies increasingly establish such offices, which they view as essential to their technology transformation initiatives.
Karanth noted, “The Indian tech sector, which previously led the country’s overall talent activity, appears to have encountered difficulties since late 2022 and continues to face a low-to-no recovery trajectory. After being the first to rebound from Covid-induced lockdowns, the tech sector experienced a surge in talent activity from early 2021 to late 2022. The active demand from the tech sector peaked in January-February 2022 at over 260,000, maintaining an 85 percent share of overall active jobs.”
