Tech job openings in India hit 1.3 lakh in November, Xpheno says

India had about 1.3 lakh (130,000) active technology job openings in November 2026, according to the Active Tech Jobs Outlook published by the staffing firm Xpheno at the end of October. The firm described it as a record level and the fifth month of recovery in a row since openings fell to about 93,000 in June. IT services companies and global capability centres led the rise, while software product companies and funded start-ups advertised fewer roles, and openings for freshers remained small.

Xpheno's outlook counts "active" openings: jobs that employers are advertising at the time of the count. It is not a count of people actually hired, and one opening can stay listed for weeks. Still, because it is measured the same way every month, it is a useful early signal of where tech hiring is heading.

The picture has turned since the middle of the year. In June 2026 the number had fallen to about 93,000. Since then, demand has risen month after month. In October, Xpheno co-founder Kamal Karanth linked the rise to stronger demand for artificial intelligence (AI) engineering, analyst and technical leadership roles.

The split by employer type matters for job seekers. IT services companies, which build and run software for clients around the world, are hiring again in large numbers. Global capability centres keep growing as banks, retailers and manufacturers move more technology work to Indian cities. On the other hand, product companies, which build and sell their own software, and venture-funded start-ups are advertising far fewer roles than a year ago. A job seeker who only applies to start-ups is looking at the shrinking part of the market.

The weak spot remains the entry level. About 16,000 openings for freshers in a market of 1.3 lakh means roughly one opening in eight is meant for someone without experience. Employers are mostly asking for people who can start work on projects right away, which is why mid-level and senior roles make up more than half of demand.

Where the tech openings are, November 2026 Segment | Openings (approx.) | Change All active tech openings | 1,30,000 | about +27% year on year IT services | 76,000 | +15% month on month, +77% year on year Global capability centres | 19,000 | not stated Software product firms | 12,000 | -25% month on month, -50% year on year Entry-level roles | 16,000 | about one in eight openings

Short-term: Experienced engineers, especially those with AI, data and cloud skills, should find more openings at IT services firms and capability centres in Bengaluru and Hyderabad over the coming weeks.

Long-term: If IT services hiring keeps rising, the large fresher intakes those companies used to run may return, but the report does not yet show that. Product companies and start-ups appear to be staying cautious.

Who is affected: Engineering graduates and students looking for first jobs, mid-career tech professionals considering a move, colleges planning campus placements, and cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad that depend on tech employment.

What job seekers can do next: Look beyond start-ups to IT services firms and capability centres, build practical skills in AI, data and cloud tools, and check that the openings you apply to are recent, since active listings are not the same as confirmed jobs.

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