India Has 123,000 Open Tech Jobs. Why Is Your First One Still So Hard?

India's technology job market is showing its strongest momentum in a year and a half. Xpheno's Active Tech Jobs Outlook puts active tech openings at 123,000 in October 2026 — the highest in 18 months, up 17% year-on-year and 5% from September, continuing a recovery that began after the market hit a record low in June.

IT services companies are leading the rebound with 66,000 active openings, up 57% year-on-year, with hiring concentrated in AI engineering, analyst roles and technical leadership, according to Xpheno co-founder Kamal Karanth.

So why does getting a first tech job still feel so difficult?

More than half of all active openings target mid-to-senior professionals. Companies are paying for people who can contribute from the first few weeks, not for potential alone.

The skills driving demand are not entry-level tasks. AI engineering, analyst and technical-lead roles typically build on fundamentals — data structures, APIs, databases, system design — plus real project experience.

Not everything favours experienced candidates. The report notes demand from Global Capability Centres remains strong on a yearly basis, and a growing share of openings is appearing outside the biggest metros.

Takeaway

The market is recovering, but the largest share of demand sits with experienced professionals. For freshers, the gap closes with evidence: working projects, deployed code and skills you can demonstrate in an interview — not just a degree.

Related: What a 2026 graduate software engineer listing actually asks for.