April 2026 CII Report says: India transitioned from a regional technology leader to a global leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) during the 2026 fiscal year, thanks to the additional infrastructure resulting from the expansion of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and increasing demand by Indian unicorns for AI talent to support their accelerated demand for AI.
Currently, there are more than 450,000 approved AI-related mandates throughout sectors; this represents a minimum year-on-year increase in demand for businesses by 40% per annum. This is a key opportunity for both B2B HR professionals and those who want to work within this area of the market.
Understanding these benchmarks will be vital for corporate stakeholders to retain their top talent. For graduates in 2026, this article will provide insight into opportunities.
Here is what CNBC mentioned in their April 29, 2026, article: “Headcount rationalization is happening across the board,” said Sushovon Nayak, senior research analyst, at Mumbai-based Anand Rathi Institutional Equities, adding that net hiring by India’s top five IT companies dropped by around 7,000 in the financial year ended March 2026.
Traditional IT roles are being significantly expanded to include AI capabilities, requiring exposure to large language models, while IT companies are posting fewer entry-level vacancies, as per the data shared by the staffing firm.
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