IT freshers hit by delayed offers, sudden shutdowns

Pune: Fresh engineering graduates in Pune, especially from computer science, are navigating one of the toughest employment environments in recent years, with delayed campus onboarding, shrinking entry-level hiring and a series of alleged job frauds adding to uncertainty.

Pavanjit Mane, president of FITE, said, “Almost 4,000 freshers reached out to us following scams from several IT companies. Earlier, senior management would get laid off, but now, freshers are feeling the pressure. Fewer freshers were hired this year by IT companies compared to last year. Even top-tier companies have reduced hiring, so candidates from good colleges are going to smaller companies.”

Pragati, a fresher from an engineering college in the city, among the 500 employees working with the Hinjewadi-based IT firm that abruptly shut down, said the market is flooded with freshers and she would find it tough to get a job. “We can’t put this company’s name on our CV because it doesn’t count as work experience. Who will give us a job?” she said.

A fresher from Nagpur said they were getting hired at very low salaries. “An IT company came to campus, conducted interviews, selected candidates and never sent offer letters. The global environment is uncertain and US companies are not confirming projects,” the fresher said.

Santosh Borde, chairman of Federation of Training and Placement Officers, said in the academic year 2025-26, only 40-50% of students from the computer science stream got placed. “Companies have either reduced visits to colleges or the number of students hired. If a company hired 500 freshers from an institute then, it now hired 80-100,” he added.

Bengaluru-based specialist staffing firm Xpheno said opportunities for technology professionals with up to two years of experience have fallen to 10,000 openings in June 2026, down from 13,000 in May and marking a 44% decline compared to June 2025.

Neeti Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Digital, said the job market is showing caution rather than disruption due to the situation in West Asia. “Hiring has not collapsed, companies are delaying decisions amid global uncertainty, rising input costs, and weaker demand signals,” she said.

“Surveys indicate a noticeable increase in hiring freezes and slower deal conversions, particularly in export-linked sectors. The impact is indirect, driven by inflation, oil prices, and global sentiment, rather than domestic demand weakness, keeping India relatively more resilient than many global peers,” she said.

AI is changing the way businesses are operating and job requirements are changing. “Fewer freshers are getting hired because their skill sets doesn’t match what the client is looking for. There is a need for employees with AI capabilities, and our engineering colleges need to upgrade courses. Employees with additional certifications are getting hired,” NITES president Harpreet Singh Saluja said.

The IT sector is undergoing a structural shift from volume-led recruitment to capability-led hiring, where organisations are prioritising specialised and business-critical talent. “This is not a decline in demand for technology talent, but a recalibration of demand toward specialised skills,” Anupama Bhimrajka, VP, marketing, Foundit (jobs & talent platform), said.

Companies are becoming more selective in hiring, focusing on talent that can drive innovation, productivity, and digital transformation outcomes. Looking ahead, we expect hiring momentum to remain concentrated in AI, data, cloud, cybersecurity, and product engineering roles, “ said Anupama Bhimrajka, VP, Marketing, foundit (jobs & talent platform).

Hiring Is Selective This Year, Say Talent Hunters

Surveys indicate a noticeable increase in hiring freezes and slower deal conversions, particularly in export-linked sectors. The impact is indirect, driven by inflation, oil prices, and global sentiment, rather than domestic demand weakness, keeping India relatively more resilient than many global peers

Neeti Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Digital

Companies are becoming more selective in hiring, focusing on talent that can drive innovation, productivity, and digital transformation outcomes. We expect hiring momentum to remain concentrated in AI, data, cloud, cybersecurity, and product engineering roles

Anupama Bhimrajka, VP, Marketing, Foundit (jobs & talent platform)