India’s technology job market has slowed sharply in June 2026, with active hiring demand falling to a 28-month low, according to the Active Tech Jobs Outlook – India report by Xpheno Private Limited.
The report estimates around 93,000 active tech job openings in June, marking a 14% month-on-month decline and a 17% year-on-year drop, the steepest annual fall in recent periods. The figures also bring overall demand back to levels last seen in January 2024, reflecting a sustained slowdown across the sector.
Xpheno co-founder Kamal Karanth attributed the downturn to global uncertainty, particularly developments in the US market, which continues to be a major driver of Indian IT hiring demand. He noted that shifting enterprise strategies, cautious hiring budgets, and broader macroeconomic pressures have collectively weighed on recruitment activity.
The report also highlighted concerns around global mobility of tech talent, particularly for professionals on H-1B visas in the United States. It suggested that return migration to India could increase, even as domestic hiring conditions remain weak, creating further pressure on the talent market.
Across job categories, full-time roles accounted for the majority of openings at 68,000 positions but declined 15% month-on-month. Contract and flexible roles also saw a drop, while internships and part-time roles remained largely unchanged.
At the experience level, mid-senior roles dominated hiring activity, accounting for nearly half of all openings, though this segment also saw a double-digit decline. Entry-level hiring dropped more sharply, falling 23% month-on-month and 44% year-on-year, indicating reduced intake of fresh talent across firms.
By industry cohort, IT services remained the largest contributor to demand at 36,000 openings but registered a 16% monthly decline and a 31% annual drop. Software product firms and GCCs (global capability centres) showed relatively stable demand, though still trending downward overall. Startups and consulting roles recorded sharper contractions.
Geographically, hiring remained concentrated in major tech hubs such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune and Chennai, which together accounted for the majority of openings. However, even these metros saw broad-based declines. Interestingly, Tier 2 and Tier 3 locations showed a year-on-year rise, despite short-term weakness.
The report further noted that work-from-office roles continue to dominate hiring structures, while remote and hybrid roles showed mixed movement amid overall contraction.