India’s IT sector is hiring freshers again. TCS alone is targeting 42,000 new graduates in FY2026. Infosys has an off-campus drive open right now with roles paying up to ₹21 LPA. HCLTech and Wipro are also back in recruitment mode.
The combined target across all four firms: 82,000 fresh graduates in FY2026.
After two years of near-silence on campus, that number sounds like a comeback. And it is with conditions.
What Happened to Fresher Hiring Between 2022 and 2025
To understand why 82,000 feels significant, you need the context.
Fresher hiring in India’s IT sector peaked at 6 lakh positions in FY22, the post-pandemic tech boom year. By FY25, it had collapsed to approximately 1.2 lakh. That is an 80% drop in three years.
Companies over-hired during the 2021–22 rush, then spent two years correcting. Bench sizes swelled. Onboarding was deferred. Thousands of freshers received offer letters but waited 6–12 months for actual joining dates.
FY2026 marks the first meaningful recovery in entry-level IT hiring since that correction began. It is not back to FY22 levels. But it is real, and it is happening now.
Who Is Hiring, and How Many
Here is the company-level breakdown for FY2026:
| Company | Fresher Target FY2026 | Active Hiring Channel |
|---|---|---|
| TCS | ~42,000 | NQT (April 14, 2026 cycle open) |
| Infosys | 20,000+ | Off-campus drive (closes April 13, 2026) |
| HCLTech | ~10,000 | FreshersConnect — ITBS and ERS tracks |
| Wipro | 10,000–12,000 | Campus and off-campus drives |
Beyond the Big Four, the opportunity set is wider than most freshers realize.
GCCs of Walmart, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Shell, and Apple are actively hiring in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Pune at salaries significantly above IT services bands. Indian SaaS startups and AI-native companies are also hiring graduates who can work with AI tooling. Fintech firms Razorpay, Zepto, Juspay, and Slice have open engineering roles right now.
The Naukri JobSpeak Index confirmed this momentum: fresher demand rose 17% year-on-year in February 2026, while IT-sector fresher hiring rose 8%.
The Part Nobody Is Advertising
Here is what the headline number does not tell you.
The 82,000 target sounds large. But India produces approximately 15 lakh engineering graduates every year. That means roughly one IT services job exists for every 18 graduates applying this cycle.
LinkedIn data shows that applicants per open IT role in India have more than doubled since early 2022. The volume of applicants has gone up. The number of roles has not caught up to FY22 levels. That gap is where most fresher applications disappear.
Companies are also hiring differently now. They are no longer taking freshers to fill a pipeline and train from scratch. They are selecting for people who arrive ready to contribute with Python proficiency, AI tool exposure, and the ability to write code that solves a stated problem.
“Companies are no longer taking freshers just to fill the pipeline,” a March 2026 industry report noted. “They are recruiting intentionally for flexible learners and people who can thrive in dynamic tech environments.”
What Companies Are Actually Looking For in 2026
TCS, Infosys, and Accenture all explicitly flag AI and ML literacy in their 2026 job descriptions. This is not a vague preference. It is filtering criteria.
If you have any exposure to Python ML libraries, LLMs, or AI development tools, it belongs on your resume, stated clearly. “Used GitHub Copilot for code generation during [project name]” is a credible, real entry. “Built a React.js web app that reduced manual data entry by 60% for a 50-user team” gets shortlisted. “Developed a web application” does not.
The shift is structural. ATS systems used by large IT companies are now layered with AI-assisted screening. Vague descriptions get downranked automatically before a human reads them.
For Infosys’s current off-campus drive (deadline: April 13, 2026), there are three tracks:
- Specialist Programmer L3: ₹21 LPA
- Specialist Programmer L1: ₹10 LPA + ₹1 lakh joining bonus
- Digital Specialist Engineer: ₹6.25 LPA + ₹75,000 joining bonus
Each track uses a different screening filter. Applying to all three without customizing your resume for each is one of the most common mistakes freshers make this cycle.
The GCC Route — Higher Pay, Harder to Enter
For freshers willing to invest in the right skills, GCCs represent a better first job than traditional IT services.
GCCs pay 15–22% more than comparable IT services roles. They are expanding at 18–27% annually. And they are specifically building early-career pipelines for AI, cloud, and data roles.
The challenge: GCCs are less accessible to freshers without specialized AI, cloud, or data skills. They do not run the same volume-based hiring that TCS or Infosys use. Shortlisting is more competitive per role, but the floor is much higher.
For a fresher with Python, SQL, and any AI tool exposure, a GCC role at Walmart Global Tech, JPMorgan, or a product startup pays significantly more and builds a stronger early career profile than an IT services role at the same education level.
What You Should Do Before April Ends
Specific actions, in order of impact:
- Apply to Infosys off-campus before April 13. The drive closes soon. Roles pay up to ₹21 LPA. Apply to the track that matches your actual skill level, not the highest one automatically.
- Appear for TCS NQT. The April 14, 2026 cycle is open. TCS is the single largest fresher recruiter in India this year. Even if you are targeting other companies, the NQT score is shared across partners.
- Add AI and cloud exposure explicitly to your resume. Even basic mentions, a Python project, a Coursera AI course, a GitHub repo with an ML notebook—change your shortlisting rate.
- Target GCCs and fintech alongside IT services. Walmart Global Tech and JPMorgan GCCs are running campus and off-campus drives simultaneously. Most freshers only know to apply to TCS and Infosys.
- Customize your resume per company. The keyword gap between your resume and a Wipro JD is different from the gap against a JPMorgan GCC JD. Fixing this per application takes 15 minutes and meaningfully improves shortlisting.
Quick Checklist — Fresher Job Hunt April 2026
- Apply to Infosys off-campus drive before April 13, 2026
- Register for TCS NQT April 14 cycle is currently open
- Check HCLTech FreshersConnect for ITBS and ERS tracks
- Apply to Cognizant GenC and GenC Pro drives on official careers page
- Look up Walmart Global Tech India and JPMorgan GCC drives on LinkedIn
- Add any AI, Python, or cloud experience to your resume explicitly
- Tailor your resume for each company’s specific JD one resume does not work for all
- Build 1–2 projects with measurable outcomes and host them on GitHub
FAQ
Is IT fresher hiring actually recovering in 2026?
Yes, but from a very depressed base. The 82,000 target from TCS, Infosys, HCLTech, and Wipro is real and confirmed. Naukri data shows fresher demand rose 17% year-on-year in February 2026. The market is improving, but it is not back to FY22 levels.
Which company is hiring the most freshers in FY2026?
TCS leads with approximately 42,000 fresher targets. Infosys is next at 20,000+. HCLTech and Wipro are targeting 10,000–12,000 each. Beyond these four, GCCs and fintech companies are also actively hiring.
What salary can freshers expect from top IT companies in 2026?
IT services companies offer ₹3.5–6.25 LPA for standard roles. Infosys’s Specialist Programmer track pays up to ₹21 LPA. GCC roles typically start at ₹8–15 LPA for freshers with relevant AI or cloud skills. The salary range is wider than ever.
Is it harder to get into IT companies now compared to 2022?
Yes. Applicants per open role have more than doubled since 2022, even as the number of roles has partially recovered. Companies are also more selective about skills. A fresher without any AI or cloud exposure is competing at a disadvantage in 2026.
What skills give a fresher the best chance of getting shortlisted?
Python proficiency, SQL basics, any AI or ML tool exposure, and at least one project with measurable outcomes. Companies explicitly mention AI literacy in 2026 JDs. Freshers who demonstrate it, even at a basic level get prioritized in screening.
Conclusion: The Comeback Is Real — But So Is the New Standard
India’s IT sector is hiring freshers again in FY2026, and the numbers are meaningful. 82,000 roles across the Big Four is the strongest fresher hiring signal since the correction began.
But the hiring model has changed permanently. The batch that enters the workforce in 2026 will be smaller in volume and higher in average skill than the batches that came before. Companies are not filling seats anymore. They are looking for people who arrive ready to work with AI, not people who need two years of training to reach productivity.
The freshers who recognize this now who add AI exposure, build measurable projects, and customize every application will have a better FY26 than the ones waiting for placement season to arrive at their college gates.
The window is open. The NQT is running. The Infosys drive closes April 13.