India seems to be bucking the layoffs trend: ~60,000 tech workers have been laid off globally in 2026, as per layoff tracker TruUp. But in India, hiring is accelerating.
Why? A senior engineer in California costs 5x more than a similar professional in India, so many companies want to hire here. Also, the H1B visa restrictions in the US have meant more hiring in India, as per The Economic Times.
Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Google together hired 32,000 employees in India in 2025. Companies such as Google also are adding to their office space in India.
What's in it for you?
Good time to job hunt: If you’re an early-career tech professional in India, especially in AI, cloud, or cybersecurity, this is arguably a good hiring market.
Buck up on AI: However, the cost advantage may not last too long given the rapid advancement in AI to perform complex tasks. Indian IT companies are already seeing this play out.
War may dampen trend: Given the several second-order effects of the Middle East war and the impact on companies, hiring may be affected.
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