According to specialized staffing company Xpheno, active job openings in India’s technology sector decreased by 27% in October compared to the previous month.
Xpheno said the sector’s share of India’s overall talent demand declined to 48 per cent in October, compared with a peak of 84 per cent in 2022. The company said that hiring has been slow for the past four months.
Xpheno co-founder Kamal Karanth stated that the outlook for October was consistent with the decline that has persisted since the beginning of 2025. “Hiring action in India’s tech sector remains sluggish amid challenges with discretionary tech spending and sustained headwinds in IT,” Karanth said.
Demand in IT services dropped 24 per cent year-on-year, with 42,000 new openings in October, Xpheno reported. Software-related job openings decreased by 22% to 26,000.
The number of funded technology start-ups increased by 13%, adding 17,000 new jobs. Global Capability Centres (GCCs) registered a 2 per cent increase with 11,000 openings and now account for around 10 per cent of overall technology demand.
Karanth said the decline in the IT services segment was significant and added that recent developments in the US market were expected to influence demand further.
By seniority, mid-junior roles posted the steepest year-on-year decline at 28 per cent, Xpheno said. There were fewer openings at the entry level by 19%, and there were fewer mid-level positions by 10%. The firm reported that core technology and engineering functions accounted for 57 per cent of active demand.
However, compared to a year ago, demand for these positions decreased by 25%. Project management and other functions also saw declines, while consulting and advisory roles increased by 18%.
Xpheno reported that hiring in India’s largest urban centers decreased. Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru posted the steepest declines, contributing to a combined 29 per cent year-on-year fall in job openings across metro areas.
In contrast, there were 24,000 new openings in tier-2 and tier-3 locations. These facilities recorded an increase of 2% year-over-year and 41% month-over-month.
