Senior tech hiring rises
Coverage from The Economic Times and ETHRWorld says demand for senior technology leaders is growing even as broader tech hiring cools, with firms prioritizing visible leadership and skillsets over tenure. Articles argue automation and AI adoption are pushing employers toward a skills‑first hiring approach, changing what candidates need to demonstrate. (m.economictimes.com; hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com)
Demand for senior technology leaders in India is rising even as broader tech hiring stays weak, with companies recruiting executives to lead artificial intelligence rollouts. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) The Economic Times reported on April 12 that executive search firms are seeing more mandates for director, vice-president and higher roles, and ABC Consultants said those mandates are up about 20% over the last two to three quarters versus the first half of fiscal year 2025. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ETHRWorld reported on April 13 that multinational companies and Indian firms are hiring for domestic and global roles based in India, often through global capability centers, to put senior leaders in charge of artificial intelligence adoption. (hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com) The split reflects a wider hiring pattern. Naukri’s April 2025 JobSpeak report said its white-collar hiring index rose 9% year on year, but growth came from sectors including pharmaceuticals, real estate, oil and gas, and global capability centers rather than a broad-based technology rebound. (naukri.com) At the same time, hiring for rank-and-file information technology roles has stayed soft. Financial Express, citing Naukri data for May 2025, reported information technology services hiring fell 4.8% year on year and 3.2% month on month, extending a slowdown that had run for five straight months. (financialexpress.com) Artificial intelligence is changing what employers want from senior candidates. The Economic Times said recruiters are putting more weight on visible execution, cross-functional leadership and proof that an executive has run automation or artificial intelligence programs, instead of relying mainly on tenure. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) India’s broader artificial intelligence labor market helps explain the scramble. Stanford University’s 2025 Artificial Intelligence Index said India posted the world’s highest year-on-year growth in relative artificial intelligence hiring in 2024. (hai.stanford.edu) Supply is still tight. A Deloitte India and Nasscom report released in August 2024 projected Indian demand for artificial intelligence talent would rise from 600,000 to 650,000 workers to more than 1.25 million by 2027, creating pressure to upskill and to import experienced leadership into key roles. (deloitte.com) That is why the current market rewards executives who can show shipped projects, not just long resumes: companies are hiring fewer people overall, but paying up for leaders who can turn artificial intelligence plans into operating systems, products and cost cuts. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)
