Atlassian's India R&D hub grows to 2,700 as AI shifts hiring

Atlassian is deepening its India presence as a strategic R&D hub, with its Bengaluru centre now housing over 2,700 employees across engineering, product, and design. The company's CTO Vikram Rao highlighted that India runs a billion-dollar-plus product line (Service Collection) and core ML and search teams. As AI-assisted development lowers coding barriers, Atlassian is shifting its hiring focus toward engineers who can orchestrate AI agents rather than just write code. The company plans to expand both engineering and sales teams in India, with a particular emphasis on hiring AI-native fresh graduates from universities. Key signal: Atlassian's India team has grown to over 2,700 employees, with a new Bengaluru R&D centre four times larger than its previous office. For hiring leaders, this matters because for CHROs and TA leaders, this signals a strategic shift: global product companies are treating India as a core innovation hub, not just a cost centre. The emphasis on AI-native fresh graduates suggests a growing preference for adaptable talent over traditional experienced hires. As AI changes the nature of software engineering, hiring criteria must evolve to prioritise skills like agent orchestration and product judgement. Atlassian's expansion also intensifies competition for top engineering talent in Bengaluru, potentially driving up compensation and requiring more targeted employer branding. Teksands view: Atlassian's move is a clear signal that AI is not shrinking engineering teams but reshaping them. The 'AI-native' fresh graduate focus is a contrarian bet against the experience premium—one that could redefine campus hiring strategies. For recruiters, the takeaway is to start assessing candidates for their ability to direct AI agents, not just code. The billion-dollar product line run from India is proof that high-value work is moving here, so expect more global firms to follow suit, intensifying the war for AI-fluent engineers.