India’s IT job demand in 2025 surged to 1.8 million roles, marking a 16% increase from the previous year. The hiring trend was notably driven by Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and product-led organizations, as per a report by Quess Corp.
Global Capability Centres saw a significant rise, accounting for 27% of total IT hiring demand in 2025, up from 15% in 2024. Meanwhile, product and SaaS firms focused on selective hiring, with IT services and consulting sectors showing modest growth.
The report highlighted a decline in startup hiring to low single-digit levels due to funding moderation. Mid-career professionals with four to ten years of experience constituted 65% of the hiring, compared to 50% in 2024. Entry-level hiring stood at 15% as employers sought talent ready for productivity.
The demand for IT roles leaned heavily towards emerging digital skills, with AI/ML, cloud engineering, DevOps, and cybersecurity surpassing traditional software roles. Notably, over half of the hiring revolved around these advanced capabilities, according to the report.
Roles in AI, cloud, and cybersecurity attracted significant interest, indicating the rising complexity of roles in India. Kapil Joshi, CEO of IT Staffing at Quess Corp, mentioned that this trend signifies a technology hiring market moving towards higher value, setting a positive tone for 2026.
Hiring activities were concentrated in Tier-1 cities, with Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Mumbai, and Delhi NCR leading the demand, accounting for 88-90% of the total. Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities contributed 10-12% to the hiring landscape.
In 2025, the average time-to-hire extended to 45-60 days, reaching 75-90 days for niche skills like AI/ML and cybersecurity. Contract roles also saw an uptick, rising to about 10-11% of the overall demand from approximately 8% in 2024.
