IT Fresher Hiring Is Picking Up Again — But the Skills Companies Want Are Changing

India's technology and IT services industry is seeing a revival in fresher onboarding after nearly two years of subdued entry-level hiring, The Economic Times reports. Recruitment firm Quess Group expects fresher hiring, which fell to a record low of around 110,000 in FY26, to rise to 115,000–135,000 this fiscal year. Entry-level recruitment still remains below mid-level hiring.

The broader market remains uneven. Naukri's JobSpeak report for September 2026 showed overall white-collar hiring up 2% year-on-year, while AI/ML hiring grew 20%. IT/software hiring declined 4%, and hiring for professionals with 0–3 years of experience grew just 1%, as reported by CNBC-TV18.

What this means for students

For students, this is more useful than either "there are no jobs" or "tech hiring is booming." Opportunities vary significantly by skill area. Experts quoted by The Economic Times say the bar for entry-level talent has risen, with firms increasingly looking for specialised capabilities in AI, cloud, data and cybersecurity, and for graduates who can be deployed with limited ramp-up time.

These figures describe the reporting sources' data — they are not a complete picture of every company or role in India's job market.

Takeaway: Fresher opportunities may be improving, but specialised and demonstrable skills remain increasingly important.