Top five Indian IT firms added 16,000 staff in H1, with freshers leading
A report published on 24 October says India’s five largest IT services companies added a net 16,055 employees in April to September 2026, compared with 3,097 a year earlier. TCS added 13,537 and Wipro had a net reduction of 5,828. Freshers made up 60 to 65% of net new hiring, per UnearthInsights, which put the group’s fresh graduate intake at roughly 12,000 to 13,000.
- TCS expects to hire 25,000 freshers this year.
- Wipro plans to step up campus hiring in H2.
The analyst quoted called the numbers no proof of a broad recovery, and expects full-year additions under 30,000 to 40,000. Demand for AI, cloud, cybersecurity and specialised engineering talent grew about 16% year on year, while overall IT hiring fell 3%. For freshers, the message is that entry-level doors are open but favour those with AI, cloud and security skills.
Source: Angel One.