India’s technology job market witnessed a slowdown in April 2026, with active job openings declining 8% month-on-month to around 110,000, according to Xpheno’s latest Active Tech Jobs Outlook report. The drop reverses the hiring momentum seen in the first quarter of 2026 and signals a subdued start to the new financial year (FY2027).
The report indicates that April’s hiring levels are now comparable to February 2026, making March the strongest month for tech hiring in FY2026. While the decline comes amid ongoing global uncertainties, the report notes that it is still early to directly attribute the slowdown to geopolitical developments. However, hiring pipelines are expected to remain under pressure if macroeconomic instability persists.
On a year-on-year basis, demand remains relatively resilient, with active tech job openings still 7% higher than April 2025 levels. Despite this, the broader trend over the past four quarters suggests continued sluggishness in hiring activity, with the sector struggling to maintain sustained growth beyond short periods.
At a structural level, the tech sector’s contribution to India’s overall job market fell to 49%, slipping below the 50% mark for the first time since December 2025.
Segment-wise Trends
Full-time roles continue to dominate hiring, accounting for 85,000 openings or 77% of total demand, though they saw a 3% monthly decline. Contract hiring dropped sharply by 17%, while internship and part-time roles rose significantly by 67%, albeit on a low base.
Mid-senior level roles remain the largest segment, contributing 54% of total openings, but declined 6% compared to March. Entry-level hiring remained flat at 15,000 positions but is down 11% compared to last year, indicating continued pressure on fresher hiring.
Sectoral Pressure Points
The IT services sector, the largest employer in the tech ecosystem, reported a 7% month-on-month drop in hiring, with active openings at 43,000. Notably, demand from this segment is also down 7% year-on-year, reflecting ongoing stress in key global client markets.
Global Capability Centres (GCCs) also saw a sharp 21% decline in hiring compared to the previous month, though they posted a modest 3% annual growth.
In contrast, software product companies and funded startups showed relatively stronger year-on-year growth, with demand rising by 24% and 23%, respectively.
Function and Location Trends
Core tech and engineering roles continued to dominate, contributing 58% of total demand, with a marginal 2% monthly decline but a 7% annual increase. However, hiring in consulting and advisory roles dropped sharply by 33% month-on-month, indicating cautious spending by firms.
Geographically, hiring remains concentrated in major cities, which account for 62% of total demand. However, job openings in these metros declined 11% month-on-month and 29% year-on-year. In contrast, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities saw relatively better resilience, with a 10% annual increase in hiring despite a 5% monthly dip.
Work Format Shifts
Work-from-office roles continue to dominate, making up 78% of total openings, though they declined 12% compared to March. Remote and hybrid roles remained largely unchanged, suggesting a stabilisation in work format preferences.