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Ten tech companies across India and the US are actively hiring freshers in 2026, spanning IT services, product engineering, AI, and cloud roles.
Entry-level salaries range from Rs 3.5 LPA at Indian IT majors to over $180,000 total compensation at top US tech firms.
Hiring in 2026 favors candidates with AI literacy, practical project experience, and strong fundamentals over degree pedigree alone.
Landing a first tech job is harder than graduates were led to expect. AI has taken over several entry-level tasks. Campus drives have shrunk. Companies are hiring fewer freshers and expecting more from the ones who do get in.
The market is not closed, though. Indian IT majors are running structured hiring cycles again. US tech firms have opened entry-level roles that pay well and do not ask for years of prior experience. The shift is straightforward: companies want freshers who can contribute from day one, not ones who need months before they add any value.
This list covers ten companies, five in India and five in the US, actively recruiting fresh graduates. Each entry covers the roles available, the salary range, and what actually helps a candidate get shortlisted.
TCS is the largest recruiter of fresh tech graduates in India. The company plans to onboard around 42,000 entry-level professionals in FY26 across software engineering, IT analysis, and business process roles.
Freshers enter through the TCS National Qualifier Test, open to graduates from any stream. Higher NQT scores unlock the digital and prime tracks, which come with better pay bands and more technical work.
Training is structured and spans several months before deployment. Early-career growth can feel slow at a company this large, but the stability and scale of exposure are genuine.
What Gets Noticed: Strong NQT scores, coding basics in Java or Python, and clear communication during interviews.
Infosys runs one of the most thorough fresher onboarding programs in Indian IT, based at its training campus in Mysore. Hiring happens through the InfyTQ platform and campus placements, with roles across software engineering, data analysis, and system testing.
Freshers in the digital stream earn more than those on the mainstream track. The difference comes down to aptitude scores and the ability to show genuine interest in a specific domain during the selection process.
What Gets Noticed: InfyTQ certification, strong aptitude scores, and hands-on projects in data or cloud tools.
Wipro hires freshers through its Elite National Talent Hunt and the Work Integrated Learning Program. The company plans to recruit between 10,000 and 12,000 new graduates in 2026, with a focus on cloud, IT services, and cybersecurity roles.
The WILP option lets candidates continue their education while working, which appeals to freshers who want to keep building skills without putting their career on hold.
Client-facing exposure arrives earlier at Wipro than at most peers, which speeds up practical learning in the first two years.
What Gets Noticed: Consistent academic performance, coding test scores, and clear interest in a domain like cloud or security.
Accenture hires freshers across technology, consulting, digital engineering, and AI roles. Entry-level packages are competitive by Indian IT standards. Freshers often get exposure to global client projects in their first year, which sets Accenture apart from pure IT services firms.
Hiring runs through campus drives and off-campus programs. Logical reasoning and communication skills carry as much weight as coding ability in the selection process. Candidates with basic machine learning or data skills have a clear edge on the AI and digital tracks.
What Gets Noticed: Logical reasoning scores, confident communication, and demonstrated interest in AI or data tools.
Capgemini recruits freshers through Superset, AMCAT, and direct campus placements. Entry roles span IT services, cloud, and engineering functions across analyst and junior developer positions. International project exposure is a genuine draw for freshers who want global work experience without relocating.
The selection process tests aptitude, coding basics, and the ability to explain technical thinking in a structured way.
What Gets Noticed: Aptitude test performance, basic programming knowledge, and a clear and organized approach to problem-solving.
Google places most fresh software engineering hires at Level 3, the standard new-grad entry point. Roles span software engineering, data science, applied machine learning, and product. Total compensation varies widely by team and location, with hardware and AI roles at the higher end of the range.
The hiring process runs through multiple technical rounds covering data structures, algorithms, and conceptual system design. University recruiting cycles typically open in late summer for the following year's intake.
What Gets Noticed: Strong algorithm and data structure fundamentals, clear reasoning during technical interviews, and the habit of thinking out loud while solving problems.
Microsoft runs a structured new graduate hiring program across software engineering, data science, and applied science roles. Its Bengaluru office also hires freshers, making it one of the few companies on this list relevant to both markets. US entry-level total compensation typically starts above $130,000, with equity forming a meaningful share of the package.
The interview process weighs coding ability alongside collaborative problem-solving. Microsoft looks for candidates who can work across product and engineering without needing tight boundaries around their role.
What Gets Noticed: Project or internship experience, strong proficiency in one coding language, and genuine curiosity about the product area being applied to.
Meta has opened entry-level software engineering and full-stack roles that require only a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Annual salaries for these roles range from $176,000 to $290,000, placing them among the highest-paying fresh graduate positions in the industry. All current openings are in-person, which matters for candidates who prefer flexible or remote arrangements.
The hiring bar is high. Candidates need strong proficiency in at least one backend or systems language and the ability to work through complex engineering problems independently.
What Gets Noticed: A portfolio of university projects or internships, proficiency in Python, C++, or PHP, and consistent performance across multiple rounds of technical assessment.
Amazon brings fresh graduates into its Software Development Engineer track, one of the most structured new-grad pathways in US tech. The process combines online assessments with technical interviews and a behavioral round built around Amazon's Leadership Principles.
Entry-level total compensation typically falls between $120,000 and $175,000, with signing bonuses making up a notable portion of the first-year package. Amazon hires across AWS, retail, logistics technology, and several other business areas, giving new graduates real choice in where they land.
What Gets Noticed: Thorough preparation on data structures and algorithms, behavioral answers grounded in specific real examples, and a stated interest in one area of Amazon's business.
IBM hires freshers through its Early Career program across software development, AI engineering, cloud, and consulting roles. The hiring process weighs learning potential and adaptability alongside technical fundamentals, making it one of the more accessible entry points into US tech for new graduates.
Salaries are lower than FAANG peers, but the roles offer real exposure to enterprise AI and hybrid cloud work, both of which are in high demand across the wider job market.
IBM also runs active hiring programs in India, making it a genuine option for graduates who are keeping both markets open.
What Gets Noticed: Interest in AI or cloud platforms, solid programming basics, and the ability to connect technical knowledge to real business outcomes.
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The companies above are hiring, but the applicant pool is large. Three things consistently separate shortlisted candidates from the rest.
Knowing how to work with AI tools, even at a basic level, has become a real differentiator in both markets. It is not about building models. It is about showing comfort with AI-assisted workflows.
Academic projects, open-source contributions, and internships carry more weight than grades at most companies on this list. A candidate who can speak confidently about a working project will stand out over one with a higher GPA and nothing concrete to show.
Data structures, algorithms, and basic system design sit at the core of almost every technical interview, from the TCS NQT to Google's hiring rounds. These take consistent practice. There are no shortcuts.
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The fresher market rewards preparation over hope. These companies are not filling seats for the sake of it. They are hiring graduates who can handle real work early, adapt to fast-moving environments, and grow without hand-holding. The opportunity exists on both sides of the world. Getting it comes down to how well a candidate has prepared for the moment.
1. Which tech companies are hiring freshers in India in 2026?
TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Accenture, and Capgemini are among the companies covered for fresher hiring in India in 2026.
2. Which tech companies are hiring new graduates in the US in 2026
The article covers Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and IBM for entry-level opportunities in the US.
3. What skills do freshers need to get tech jobs in 2026?
AI literacy, practical project experience, and strong fundamentals in areas such as data structures, algorithms, and basic system design are highlighted as key skills.
4. How much can freshers earn at tech companies in 2026?
The article lists Indian fresher packages from about Rs. 3.5 LPA, while US figures range from around $80,000 to more than $370,000 in total compensation, depending on the company and role.
5. Do freshers need prior work experience to get tech jobs in 2026?
Not necessarily. The companies covered include structured fresher and new-graduate hiring programs, although candidates are increasingly expected to demonstrate technical fundamentals, projects, internships, and the ability to contribute early.
