India had about 1.23 lakh active tech job openings in October 2026, the highest in 18 months and 17% more than a year earlier, according to staffing firm Xpheno. Freshers are getting a smaller slice: entry-level openings were only about 15,000 — roughly 1 in 8 — and fell 6% from September, while mid-senior roles made up about 55% of all openings.
📈 The Headline: Tech Hiring Is Back
After a slow first half of 2026, tech hiring in India has bounced back strongly. Staffing firm Xpheno's October 2026 outlook counted about 1.23 lakh active tech job openings — the highest level in 18 months.
Most of the push is coming from IT services companies (about 66,000 openings, up 57% year-on-year) and Global Capability Centres (GCCs) (about 18,000 openings, up 64% year-on-year). Demand is strongest for AI engineering, data analyst and technical lead roles.
Source: Xpheno Active Tech Jobs Outlook (October 2026 snapshot of active openings), as reported by The Times of India, Financial Express and other outlets. Figures are active job openings published by employers, not people hired.
🎓 The Catch: Where Do Freshers Stand?
The overall number looks great — but the split by experience tells a different story.
| Experience level | Approx. openings | Share | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level (freshers) | 15,000 | ~12% | +15% YoY, but −6% vs September |
| Mid-junior | 7,000 | ~6% | +17% YoY, +40% MoM |
| Mid-senior | 68,000 | ~55% | +19% YoY, +6% MoM |
In plain words: companies are hiring, but mostly people who can deliver immediately. Freshers are still getting chances — entry-level openings are higher than last year — but they're competing for roughly one in eight tech openings, and that slice shrank last month.
📍 City-wise: Good News for Hyderabad
| City | Approx. openings | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru | 31,000 | Still #1, though down 11% YoY |
| Hyderabad | 14,000 | #2, up 27% month-on-month |
| Delhi NCR | 9,000 | — |
| Chennai | 8,000 | — |
| Pune | ~6,000 | — |
| Mumbai | ~6,000 | — |
| Tier-2 & Tier-3 cities | 40,000 | Up 67% year-on-year |
For students in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Hyderabad's jump and the strong growth in tier-2/tier-3 cities are encouraging. Cities like Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada are part of that wider tier-2 story, where IT and GCC hiring is spreading beyond the big metros.
🏢 Who Is Hiring — and Who Isn't
| Employer type | Approx. openings | Year-on-year |
|---|---|---|
| IT services | 66,000 | ▲ 57% |
| Software product companies | 16,000 | ▼ 38% |
| GCCs (Global Capability Centres) | 18,000 | ▲ 64% |
| Funded startups | 12,000 | ▼ 29% |
IT services firms and GCCs are the biggest bright spots — and historically, IT services companies are also the largest recruiters of freshers through campus and off-campus drives. Startups and product companies, on the other hand, are hiring less than last year.
Work mode has also shifted: remote and hybrid openings fell year-on-year, so be ready for office-based roles.
🛠️ How Freshers Can Grab Their Share
🔮 Should Freshers Be Worried?
Not worried — but strategic. The overall market is growing, and entry-level openings are still up compared with last year. The difference from the old days is that a degree alone no longer gets you shortlisted. Freshers who show practical skills, especially in AI, data and cloud, and who apply smartly to IT services and GCC roles, are the ones getting the calls.
- India had about 1.23 lakh active tech job openings in October 2026 — an 18-month high, +17% YoY (Xpheno).
- Entry-level openings were about 15,000 (~12% of total), down 6% from September but up 15% YoY.
- Mid-senior roles dominate at about 68,000 openings (~55%).
- IT services (~66,000, +57% YoY) and GCCs (~18,000, +64% YoY) lead growth; startups and product firms are down.
- Hyderabad had ~14,000 openings, up 27% month-on-month; tier-2/3 cities up 67% YoY.
