Indian IT Hiring In 2025: AI/Data Science Roles Rule Job Market

The Indian IT hiring sector is currently at a crucial turning point, transitioning from a year of decline toward a more promising future. Focused on specialized skills like AI and data science, along with a shift towards hiring in Tier 2 cities.

Although 2024 was marked by delayed onboarding and an overall drop in hiring, experts are optimistic about recovery in 2025, driven by economic improvements and technological advancements.

Decline In Indian IT Hiring

In 2024, the Indian IT sector saw a 7% decline in hiring compared to the previous year. This downturn can be attributed to broader macroeconomic challenges and global uncertainties. Sunil Chemmankotil, Country Manager at Adecco India, highlighted that while Global Capability Centres (GCCs) played a key role in supporting hiring, accounting for 52.6% of job openings, they could not completely offset the downturn in the IT services sector.

Emerging Trends

Despite the overall contraction, certain areas within the IT hiring landscape showed resilience. Notably, the demand for specialized roles in AI and Machine Learning surged by 39%, signalling a shift towards more advanced and in-demand skill sets.

According to Adecco’s research, the demand for these roles reflects organizations prioritizing these emerging technologies.

In addition, there was a significant geographical shift in hiring. Tier 2 cities saw a remarkable 48% increase in IT hiring during the third quarter of 2024. This highlighted a trend toward geographic diversification.

Traditionally dominated by major tech hubs, such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, IT job opportunities are now expanding to smaller cities, making the sector more inclusive.

Mid-to-Senior-Level Hiring Grows

Hiring for mid-to-senior-level professionals also showed notable growth, with a 35% increase in demand. This suggests that companies are favouring experienced candidates in response to market uncertainties and the need for stability.

However, the hiring outlook for fresh graduates remained subdued in 2024.  Many companies delayed onboarding campus hires due to uncertain deal flows, which were influenced by global political climates, especially major elections.

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