Tech job openings in India rise 9% in March amid AI-driven hiring uncertainty

Technology job openings in India rose 9% month-on-month in March, reaching their highest level in more than three quarters, indicating a short-term rebound in hiring even as concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) continue to cloud the sector’s outlook, the Economic Times reported.

The number of active technology job listings climbed to around 119,000 this month, marking the second consecutive monthly increase after a 6% rise in February. Data cited by the Economic Times, based on the Active Tech Jobs Outlook – India for March 2026 released by talent solutions firm Xpheno, suggests that despite the recent uptick, hiring demand remains subdued overall.

Active demand is still about 19% lower compared with the same period last year, highlighting the broader slowdown that has persisted since the latter half of 2022.

Insights shared with the Economic Times by Xpheno cofounder Kamal Karanth indicate that hiring activity in the January-March period typically rises either because companies anticipate stronger demand in the coming financial year or because unused recruitment budgets from the current fiscal are deployed. Under the current conditions, the latter explanation appears more likely.