Report : What talent wants in 2026
Inside the choices, expectations and signals shaping India’s tech professionals.
A Talent500 report | 2,000 tech, product and data professionals surveyed across India.
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Most tech professionals are open to a move
6 in 10 of India’s tech, product and data professionals are already looking for their next role. Only 18% say they would stay with their current employer if a comparable offer came along, and openness to moving rises with experience.
Career decisions now start before the first interview
Professionals research employers well beyond the careers page. They look up their prospective manager, weigh what former employees say, and 31% now ask AI tools like ChatGPT about a company before applying. Leadership posts, by contrast, are trusted by fewer than 1 in 4. The single biggest reason candidates walk away is not pay or a five-day office week.
GCCs are the preferred next destination
69% rank a Global Capability Centre as their first choice for their next career move. But when it comes to evaluating a specific GCC, one factor matters more than the global parent brand, and AI upskilling shows the widest gap between what professionals want and what employers deliver.
Download What Talent Wants 2026 for the full findings from 2,000 tech professionals across India.