Nagarro intends to hire approximately 1,000 additional professionals in India over the next 12-18 months, as the global digital engineering firm looks to enhance its capabilities across major hubs such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune.
Currently, the company has a workforce of around 13,000 employees in India.
“We have about 700 open positions in India, but those profiles are not that easy to fill. One of the metrics I am tracking closely is hiring effectiveness because, right now, ironically, we are facing a backlog in terms of a supply crunch,” Nagarro CEO Manas Human said.
Overall, the company plans to hire around 1,000 additional professionals in India over the next 12-18 months.
He observed that the increased hiring by startups and GCCs has led to a shortage of skilled talent in the market. Additionally, many professionals have been more cautious about changing jobs, as global uncertainties have fostered a “stay-where-you-are” mindset.
He said that multiple factors are currently shaping business decision-making amid global trade and tariff uncertainties.
One factor is the surge in post-COVID investments, which has left a residual “overhang” on investment. Another is the rapidly evolving geopolitical and macroeconomic landscape, which continues to influence global business conditions.
A third key factor is the emergence of artificial intelligence, which has introduced uncertainty about the future.
Collectively, these factors have contributed to a period of relatively slow growth over the past couple of years. However, he added that the initial caution around spending has eased somewhat, and the conversation has shifted toward a more stable and balanced outlook, moving away from fear-driven decisions.
“Things were panicked (state) a year or two ago. Now, the conversations are all good. There is a kind of feeling that we are past the bottom and it’s quite stable,” he said.
According to him, industries are now gearing up for AI-powered transformation, building on the foundation of digital transformation.
“Once people clearly see what they need to do, I think we are going to have a smart recovery. But we are not there just yet,” he said.
He highlighted that AI investments on the periphery of company operations are relatively simpler and less expensive, while those targeting core operations are typically more complex and have a greater impact.
He stated that the next major wave of AI spending will focus on initiatives targeting core business processes.
He explained that upgrading these core systems presents considerable challenges because it impacts critical business processes and requires extensive consulting, systems integration, governance, and quality-related work, along with major infrastructural changes.
He added that most companies have yet to embark on this journey, but stressed that such a transformation is inevitable with the emergence of agentic AI.
According to him, the upcoming surge in AI investments will likely focus on overhauling the heart of business operations to align with this new technological paradigm.
As an engineering-driven company, Nagarro is particularly enthusiastic about the potential of agentic AI, he concluded.
