Active tech job openings in India rose 9% month-on-month in March 2026, reaching a high not seen in over three quarters. However, demand remains 19% lower year-on-year, continuing a broader sector decline.
The short-term increase is attributed to companies deploying unspent hiring budgets from a slow fiscal year, rather than robust future growth forecasts. Hiring is being driven by non-tech functions like consulting, sales, and project management as AI disruption creates uncertainty for core tech roles.
A significant shift shows non-technology sectors now account for 53% of the demand for tech and engineering talent, overtaking the traditional tech sector.
Main Topics: Indian tech job market trends, AI impact on hiring, sectoral shift in employment demand.
Technology job openings in India have increased 9% month-on-month in March to the highest level seen in more than three quarters, signalling a short-term uptick in hiring demand despite persistent uncertainty triggered by artificial intelligence (AI) disruption.
Active tech job openings this month, at about 119,000, mark the second consecutive increase after a 6% rise in February, according to the 'Active Tech Jobs Outlook - India for March 2026' report released by specialist talent solutions company Xpheno. However, the active demand is 19% lower on a year-on-year basis, underlining the overall declining trajectory in the sector since the latter half of 2022.
According to Kamal Karanth, cofounder of Xpheno, an increase in active talent demand in the January-March period is usually driven by a positive forecast for the upcoming financial year or by a release of pent-up hiring budgets of the current fiscal. Under current conditions, the latter looks more likely, he said.
"With FY2026 set to close as a slow and low hiring fiscal, some of the unutilised hiring budgets are being deployed in the market. With the threat of AI becoming high and real for tech and engineering roles, enterprises have been pumping jobs into non-tech functions and roles since January 2026," said Karanth.
"Openings in consulting and advisory, business development, sales and marketing, and project management, have been driving demand, as enterprises wait it out for visibility on investing on tech and engineering talent intakes."
Non-technology sectors account for 53% of the current demand for tech and engineering roles, a shift from the tech sector traditionally being the largest contributor to active job volume as also the majority contributor to opportunities in tech and engineering roles.
Active tech job openings this month, at about 119,000, mark the second consecutive increase after a 6% rise in February, according to the 'Active Tech Jobs Outlook - India for March 2026' report released by specialist talent solutions company Xpheno. However, the active demand is 19% lower on a year-on-year basis, underlining the overall declining trajectory in the sector since the latter half of 2022.
According to Kamal Karanth, cofounder of Xpheno, an increase in active talent demand in the January-March period is usually driven by a positive forecast for the upcoming financial year or by a release of pent-up hiring budgets of the current fiscal. Under current conditions, the latter looks more likely, he said.
"With FY2026 set to close as a slow and low hiring fiscal, some of the unutilised hiring budgets are being deployed in the market. With the threat of AI becoming high and real for tech and engineering roles, enterprises have been pumping jobs into non-tech functions and roles since January 2026," said Karanth.
"Openings in consulting and advisory, business development, sales and marketing, and project management, have been driving demand, as enterprises wait it out for visibility on investing on tech and engineering talent intakes."
Non-technology sectors account for 53% of the current demand for tech and engineering roles, a shift from the tech sector traditionally being the largest contributor to active job volume as also the majority contributor to opportunities in tech and engineering roles.
Meridiano
