For students pursuing IT and computer engineering degrees in India, the past two years have been a period of anxiety and uncertainty. Campus placements slowed to a trickle, offer letters were postponed indefinitely, and graduates with impressive credentials found themselves in a frustrating wait, constantly checking email inboxes that remained silent. The trusted IT industry escalator, which for decades reliably carried engineering graduates into secure corporate careers, seemed to have ground to a halt.
A Recovery That Leaves Freshers Behind
New data for 2025 indicates a significant rebound in technology hiring across the country. According to the Quess Corp's IT Workforce Trends in India 2025 report, demand has surged to 1.8 million technology roles. This represents a substantial 16% increase over 2024 and is 31% higher than the 2022 levels. On the surface, this signals a strong recovery from the recent downturn.
Yet, for students and new graduates, this statistical revival feels oddly out of reach. The jobs have returned, but not necessarily for them. The market rebound is governed by a new set of rules, revealing a labour ecosystem that has become more selective, intensely skill-focused, and less accommodating of inexperienced candidates. The recovery is real, but it is not broad-based.
The headline numbers conceal a critical shift: the IT sector has not resumed mass hiring but has pivoted to targeted hiring. The market has reorganised itself around experienced professionals who can contribute from day one. Consequently, entry-level hiring, which was once the cornerstone of India's IT narrative, has narrowed dramatically. For engineering students, the difficult truth is that a recovering market does not guarantee easier campus placements.
GCCs Take Centre Stage, Reshaping Recruitment
One of the most significant trends highlighted in the Quess report is the rising dominance of Global Capability Centres (GCCs). These are the India-based technology and engineering units of multinational corporations. From being peripheral players, GCCs now account for approximately 27% of all IT hiring demand in 2025, a sharp rise from around 15% in 2024, making them the fastest-growing segment.
In contrast, traditional IT services and consulting firms are witnessing only a modest growth of about 7–8 per cent. Their hiring is now tight and specific to skills, not the large-scale, batch-based recruitment of the past. This distinction is crucial for students because GCCs typically do not hire in bulk from college campuses. They recruit specialists, prioritising strong portfolios, prior internship experience, and hands-on project exposure—criteria that significantly limit opportunities for fresh graduates.
The Narrowing Gate for Freshers and the Skill Imperative
The data underscores the challenge: only 15% of total IT hiring in 2025 is for entry-level positions. This single figure explains the persistent placement stress despite positive industry headlines. Meanwhile, mid-career professionals with four to ten years of experience command 65% of the market demand, as companies now value proven output and reliability over potential.
This is not a temporary phase but a structural repricing of risk. After periods of volatility, companies are hesitant to invest heavily in lengthy training programmes. Freshers are no longer seen as easily mouldable assets but are evaluated as unfinished professionals. For current students, this means that graduation is no longer the finish line; it is merely the qualifying round.
The Quess report sends a clear message: skills are no longer optional 'value-adds' but mandatory entry tickets. Over half of all IT jobs in 2025 are concentrated in advanced digital skills. Generalist roles, which were the backbone of campus hiring, have shrunk. Legacy technologies now account for less than a tenth of demand, signalling a dramatic shift from the past.
Geographically, around 88% of IT roles remain in Tier-1 metro cities in 2025. However, hybrid work models, GCC satellite offices, and cost-optimisation are slowly pushing growth into smaller cities—an evolution, not a rapid exodus.
Another trend is the expansion of contract hiring, which now makes up 10–11% of total demand. While offering companies flexibility and professionals a foot in the door, these roles come with trade-offs like shorter tenures and the need for continuous skill updates, altering how early careers must be managed.
The 2025 IT job market recovery redefines, rather than invalidates, the sector's promise. It now rewards proven skills over syllabus coverage, specialisation over general degrees, early practical exposure over late placements, and adaptability over assumed long-term stability. For IT and computer engineering students, the path forward is challenging: those who treat college as a proactive launchpad will find doors opening, while those relying solely on traditional institutional pipelines should prepare for a longer, more uncertain wait.
