Technology hiring is set for a major surge in 2026, with around 125,000 new roles expected to be added across the industry. According to Adecco India, AI, data, and cybersecurity have shifted from experimental projects to core organizational needs, with demand growing by a staggering 51%.
The Forecast: 12-15% Growth in Tech Jobs
The HR solutions provider forecasts 12-15% growth in overall tech jobs in 2026. About 40% of large enterprises have already operationalized generative AI pilots, indicating a rapid adoption of advanced technologies.
Sanketh Chengappa, Adecco India Director and Business Head for Professional Staffing, noted that hiring in the IT and IT Services sector showed early signs of stabilization through 2025. "After a cautious period in 2023–24, demand began to rebuild in areas tied to AI engineering, cloud transformation, cybersecurity, data platforms, and platform modernization. Campus intake also improved as firms restarted structured early-career programs. This gradual uptick indicates a sector shifting from restraint to renewal, setting the stage for a more decisive recovery in 2026 as the talent gap widens," he said.
Major IT Firms Leading the Charge
Top Indian IT services firms, during their Q3 earnings conferences, confirmed they would continue hiring freshers and people with specialized skills. In the December quarter, Infosys added 5,043 employees and Wipro added 6,529 employees.
IT companies are making significant investments in building a workforce that is AI and future-ready. TCS Chief Human Resources Officer Sudeep Kunnumal highlighted that 51.2 million learning hours have been completed year-to-date and 3.8 million competencies have been acquired. "We now have over 217,000 employees with higher-order skills in AI, which is a 3X increase over last year. AI is creating new roles, such as rapid-build engineers and leads, which are increasingly vital for the future. We are currently working on aligning our role framework with AI as the centerpiece," he said.
Cybersecurity and Talent Gap Challenges
Adecco also reported that global capability centers (GCCs) have elevated cybersecurity to a board-level priority. Non-tech sectors have accelerated automation, building cross-functional tech teams at scale. In 2025 alone, the talent gap has soared to 44%, creating a talent war and median packages soaring 18% higher than 2024.
For TCS, over 50% of its experienced hires are coming with next-gen skill sets. The company also hired a significant number of AI-native fresh graduates.
Within HCLTech, over 38,000 additional employees have been trained on GenAI and more than 600 on responsible AI. "Today, we have the highest number of open AI badged experts among all open AI partners. Our proprietary talent acquisition platform, Talent Navigator, has now been deployed at scale across HCLTech," said CEO and MD C Vijayakumar.
Upskilling and Premium Packages for Freshers
Infosys and Wipro are also training people and upskilling them in AI. Wipro, during Q3 earnings, said that lateral hiring will continue and be project and skill-based. "From a recruitment standpoint, especially on campuses, we have created 50 centers of excellence across different universities where we work with the university and build a curriculum in specific areas like AI, cybersecurity, and data. We work with them and then hire people," said Wipro Chief Human Resource Officer Saurabh Govil.
IT companies are offering premium, high-value packages for freshers with specialized AI skills. HCLTech is betting big on elite freshers with AI skills, offering packages that go up to Rs 22 lakh per annum. Infosys is also offering fresher packages up to Rs 21 lakh for specialized tech roles.
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