AI recruitment rises while IT hiring falls in India

In June 2026, AI and machine‑learning job listings in India grew 25% across 14 industries, and AI‑specific hiring in the IT sector jumped 16% year‑on‑year, according to Naukri’s JobSpeak report based on listings from more than 150,000 companies. At the same time, overall IT recruitment slipped 3%, while hiring across all sectors rose 6%, buoyed by strong demand in insurance and consumer‑goods firms.

The report highlights a structural shift in India’s $315 billion technology industry, with companies prioritising specialised AI talent over traditional IT roles. Info Edge CEO Hitesh Oberoi said the gap “shows where tech companies are still investing.” Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) chairman N. Chandrasekaran warned of slower large‑scale hiring, noting that the firm plans to balance its workforce between human staff and AI agents after cutting more than 12,000 jobs in July 2025 and seeing a net headcount decline of over 23,000 in FY 2026.

Overall white‑collar hiring closed FY 2026 with an 8% annual gain, the strongest three‑year performance on record, and March 2026 alone recorded a 9% year‑on‑year rise, indicating sustained momentum despite the IT sector’s contraction.