Is Your IT Job at Risk? AI’s Quiet Shakeup of India’s Tech Sector

The Indian IT engine is not stalling, but it is being rebuilt while running. Headlines about cuts and copilots can feel abstract, so here is the picture in plain language, with realistic numbers from multiple reports.

What We Know So Far

• Global tech layoffs in 2025: Banking on data available, between 82,000 and 137,000 jobs have been cut so far this year.

• India’s biggest bellwether (TCS): TCS plans to trim about 12,000 roles in FY26, roughly 2% of its workforce, largely in mid- and senior-level bands.

• Skill shake-up: Analysts estimate that around 38 to 39% of workers’ core skills will need to change by 2030.

• Job churn, not just losses: By 2030, as many as 22% of today’s roles will be disrupted, with millions displaced but also millions created in new categories.

• Middle management squeeze: Research suggests that about one in five organisations could eliminate over half of their middle-management layers by 2026, as reporting and coordination tasks are automated.

• Customer service automation: By 2027, chatbots are expected to become the primary service channel for about a quarter of companies worldwide.

• BPO and back-office exposure: Up to 65% of routine data-processing tasks are automatable by 2027, hitting roles in BPO, KPO, and ITES the hardest.

• Upside potential: Roles requiring cloud, AI/MLOps, cybersecurity, and advanced data engineering are in high demand, with salaries advertised at 20 to 30% higher than non-AI roles.

Who’s Most Exposed

Jobs heavy on repetition, rules, and reporting see the biggest pressure:

• Data entry and back-office processing

• Manual QA and testing

• Level-1 tech support and helpdesk

• Traditional infrastructure operations

• Basic programming and legacy system maintenance

These are the kinds of tasks today’s automation targets first.

What This Means for You

• Aim for “AI-resilient” roles: Cloud engineering, AI and ML, cybersecurity, data architecture, and hybrid business–tech roles are growing fastest and paying more.

• Don’t over-index on fear, index on skills: The data points to reinvention, not apocalypse. But for entry- and mid-tier rule-based roles, the signal is clear: upskill or risk being boxed in.

AI disruption is here, not in the future. Every Indian tech professional, whether fresher or senior, must rethink their value. The choice is stark: adapt, reskill, and ride the AI wave, or risk being left behind.

Because in today’s IT landscape, standing still is the most dangerous move of all.

Note: The figures shared in this report draw on estimates and projections from multiple research and news sources. They are meant to reflect current industry sentiment rather than exact counts, and actual numbers may shift as the landscape evolves.