Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The overall tech job market in India, including permanent, temporary and contractual profiles, is expected to see a 12–15 per cent uptick in 2026, adding around 1.25 lakh new roles, a report has said. The report from work solutions provider Adecco India said the talent gap soared to 44 per cent in 2025, pushing median packages 18 per cent higher than 2024 and creating a fierce talent war.
It highlighted demand for AI, data and cybersecurity roles grew 51 per cent as these functions shifted from experimental and discretionary to core organisational needs. Around 40 per cent of large enterprises operationalised generative AI pilots, the report said.
The recruitment firm further said that demand rose around 45 per cent for ML engineers, data engineers and full‑stack developers with AI integration skills, while specialist compensation increased 15 per cent and GCC hiring climbed 20 per cent compared to 2024, the report said.
Campus intake rose 12 per cent over 2024 and start‑ups in deep‑tech, fintech, health‑tech and SaaS-driven demand drove the surge. Funding remained selective, but companies with defined AI, platform or cybersecurity strategies expanded engineering and data teams. As 2026 approaches, enterprises across categories are expected to scale hiring for niche roles as they move from controlled pilots to full deployment, it added.