IT fresher hiring to rise 20% to 2.1 lakh in FY27: HAN Digital

India's information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) sector is expected to hire about 2.1 lakh freshers in the 2026-27 financial year, up about 20 per cent from roughly 1.75 lakh in 2025-26, according to an IT-BPM Graduate Hiring Outlook released on October 28, 2026 by HAN Digital, a technology recruitment firm. The report says the recovery is concentrated in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), data engineering and cyber-security roles, and that graduates with AI-ready skills could earn close to double the pay of those without them in some jobs.

For final-year engineering and science students, and for graduates still looking for their first job, this is the clearest recent signal of where entry-level technology hiring is heading. After a sharp fall from the FY22 peak, fresher intake is recovering, but the jobs coming back are different from the ones that were lost. The large batches once hired for routine coding, testing and support work are being replaced by smaller, more selective intakes for skilled roles.

A few terms explain the shift. Machine learning is the branch of AI in which software learns patterns from data instead of following fixed rules. Data engineering is the work of building the pipelines that collect, clean and move data so that analysts and AI systems can use it. DevOps is the practice of combining software development with IT operations so that code is tested and released quickly, usually on cloud platforms. Cyber-security covers protecting systems and data from attack. These are the skills the report links to the higher pay bands.

The pay figures matter because they show that the same degree can lead to very different starting salaries. A graduate who can show working knowledge of AI tools, data handling or cloud systems may be placed in a band that starts where the other band ends. Other surveys this month have pointed in the same direction, reporting that many IT firms have cut conventional entry-level hiring after adopting AI tools. The HAN Digital outlook adds a forecast that overall fresher numbers will still rise, but only for those whose skills match.

What should a student do next? Check which of the named skill areas your course already covers, build small, verifiable projects in one of them, and look for internships or certifications from recognised bodies or employers. Treat salary ranges as estimates from one firm's report, not as offers.

Short-term: Campus and off-campus drives for the 2027 batch are likely to favour candidates with AI, data, cloud and security skills. Students who rely only on general programming may face more competition for fewer conventional roles.

Long-term: If the pattern holds, India's technology workforce will tilt toward specialised roles, and colleges will face pressure to update syllabi so graduates arrive with the skills employers ask for. The gap between AI-ready and other graduates could widen unless training reaches tier-2 and tier-3 colleges as well.

Who is affected: Engineering and computer science students, recent graduates, colleges and placement cells, training providers, and IT services and BPM companies planning their intake.

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