Thales plans to recruit more than 9,000 employees worldwide in 2026. In India, it expects to hire 450 people for specialised roles across hardware, software, and systems domains at its engineering centres in Bengaluru and Noida, along with other functions.
Over the past five years, Thales has recruited at least 8,000 people annually to support growth across its three business sectors. The company said improving team diversity remains a priority; in 2025, women accounted for 33% of its recruitments in India.
In addition to external hiring, Thales said 3,500 employees will move into new roles through internal mobility in 2026, supported by in-house training programmes. Globally, around 40% of new hires are expected to be in engineering roles (including software, systems, cybersecurity, AI and data), and about 25% in industrial roles (technicians, operators and engineers).
Thales also said it will continue to take on apprentices and interns. In France, it plans to support 1,700 trainees and 1,600 apprentices in 2026, along with other student intakes, while in India it recently onboarded over 120 engineering interns in Noida and Bengaluru.The company added that it runs STEM outreach initiatives for school students, and said it reached around 250,000 students worldwide in 2025, including through programmes in India.
