India’s IT-BPM sector is set to revive fresher hiring after a sharp contraction, but the recovery is rewiring the skills companies seek in graduates.
Fresher hiring in the sector is projected to rise to up to 2.1 lakh in FY27, after falling to an estimated 1.75 lakh in FY26 from 4 lakh in FY22, according to technology consulting and talent advisory firm HAN Digital’s IT-BPM Graduate Hiring Outlook 2027.
However, demand is increasingly shifting towards artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), data engineering, cybersecurity and other specialised technology roles, away from conventional entry-level coding and business process outsourcing jobs.
IT Services players will remain the largest employers of the sector’s freshers, accounting for about 60% of hires, though growth now will be concentrated in AI-adjacent and specialised roles.
GCCs are the fastest-growing channel, expected to recruit 28% of talent as they expand intake into Tier II/III cities. Pure-play BPOs’ share keeps shrinking, mirroring the shift from routine execution to specialised, AI-adjacent work.
“The rise in fresher hiring reflects a structural reset in how IT services firms are building their talent pyramid,” said Saravanan Balasundaram, CEO, HAN Digital Solution.
As system integrators and IT Service providers sign more AI, data engineering and AI-enabled deals with existing and new clients, the bench capacity reduced by layoffs over the last few years can no longer absorb the demand, he said. “At the same time, new AI roles in data engineering, AI testing, annotation and model operations are opening up at the base of the pyramid, where AI-ready graduates can be skilled and deployed at scale, while mid-level hiring in the four+ years band remains under cost and productivity pressure.”
The shift is changing expectations from new recruits. As AI tools take over parts of routine coding, testing and repetitive tasks, employers increasingly want graduates who can work with AI systems, validate their outputs and apply technology to business problems.
The skillsets that companies are hiring for are definitely changing, said Sangeeta Gupta, senior VP, Nasscom. “It’s much more focused on AI capabilities – there are new jobs that are also opening up with data centres coming up.”
The traditional model of bulk hiring, six months of training and deployment is also changing. “The new kind of freshers companies need are AI-native,” she said.
This change is also visible in salaries. Freshers with AI-allied skills can command significantly higher pay, indicating that employers are increasingly paying for specialised skills rather than graduate headcount alone.
India’s Tier-1 IT Services players’ 2027 fresher model offers Rs 12–22 lakh for select specialised engineers in AI, data engineering, cybersecurity and enterprise tech as the premium shifts toward specialised technology capability, found the report.
“This would never happen in the past,” said Gupta, citing Infosys’ plan to offer up to Rs 21 lakh for certain specialised tech roles. Entry-level salaries across ITeS meanwhile have largely stagnated at Rs 3-4 lakh for years.
Recruitment geography is widening too. Bengaluru remains the leading fresher destination, accounting for an estimated 25% of onboarding, followed by Delhi-NCR at 17%, Hyderabad at 16%, Chennai at 15% and Mumbai and Pune at 10% each. Yet, Tier 2/3 corridors are outpacing metro growth, albeit on a smaller base, at 35% year-on-year.
Coimbatore, Jaipur, Kochi, Indore, Ahmedabad, and Visakhapatnam are attracting freshers via local GCC centres and IT services players seeking lower-cost talent pools beyond major metros.