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IT fresher hiring could rebound to 2.1 lakh in FY27: HAN Digital

Invisipilot News Desk ·

Written with AI assistance from the cited sources

Key points

  • Forecast: up to 2.1 lakh IT-BPM fresher hires in FY27, versus about 1.75 lakh in FY26 and 4 lakh in FY22.
  • IT services firms are expected to make about 60% of fresher hires; GCCs, the fastest-growing channel, are expected to take about 28%.
  • Demand is moving towards AI, ML, data engineering, cybersecurity, AI testing, annotation and model operations.
  • Tier 2/3 cities are growing about 35% year on year from a smaller base.
  • Takeaway: if you're a graduate, proof that you can work with and check AI tools may matter more than a generic coding profile.

Source: The Economic Times, 14 Oct 2026

A forecast, with a different mix of jobs

India's IT-BPM sector could take in up to 2.1 lakh (210,000) graduates in FY27, according to HAN Digital's *IT-BPM Graduate Hiring Outlook 2027*, as reported by The Economic Times on 14 October. That would be well above the estimated 1.75 lakh in FY26, though still roughly half the 4 lakh the sector hired in FY22. We could not find the report on HAN Digital's press-release page, so the figures here are as reported by ET.

The forecast points to a change in which roles are available. ET reports that demand is moving towards AI, machine learning, data engineering, cybersecurity and other specialised work, and away from traditional entry-level coding and BPO roles. HAN Digital CEO Saravanan Balasundaram pointed to new roles at the base of the pyramid in data engineering, AI testing, annotation and model operations.

Who is expected to hire

  • IT services companies: about 60% of fresher hires, with growth concentrated in AI-adjacent work.
  • Global capability centres (GCCs): the fastest-growing channel, expected to account for about 28% of hires as they expand into Tier 2/3 cities.
  • Pure-play BPOs: a shrinking share.

Nasscom senior vice-president Sangeeta Gupta said companies now want "AI-native" freshers, and that the old model of bulk hiring followed by six months of training is changing. According to the report, a small number of specialised engineering roles now come with much higher packages, while typical ITeS entry-level pay has stayed largely flat for years.

Where the jobs are

ET reports that Bengaluru accounts for about 25% of fresher onboarding, followed by Delhi-NCR (17%), Hyderabad (16%), Chennai (15%) and Mumbai and Pune (10% each). Tier 2/3 locations such as Coimbatore, Jaipur, Kochi, Indore, Ahmedabad and Visakhapatnam are growing about 35% a year from a smaller base.

Why it matters for Indian job seekers

  • If you're a final-year student, consider building one small project where you use an AI tool, test what it produces and fix its mistakes. Publish it on GitHub. That matches the "work with and validate AI" skill employers describe.
  • Choose a track: consider going deeper in one area, such as data engineering, cloud security or software testing, rather than listing many tools superficially.
  • If you're open to relocating, consider applying to GCC and IT centres in Tier 2/3 cities, which the report says are expanding faster than metros.
  • Prepare for skills-based interviews: consider practising how you would explain checking AI-generated code or data, not only syntax questions.

*Audience note: India-specific forecast; most relevant to 2026–27 graduates targeting IT services and GCCs.*