India’s job market closed 2025 with a 23% year-on-year increase in hiring, according to the foundit Insights Tracker (fit). While hiring momentum moderated in the second half of the year, overall demand remained strong, signalling a shift toward more calibrated, productivity-led workforce expansion rather than a slowdown.
Hiring in 2025 was marked by strong early momentum, followed by a more measured pace as the year progressed. Employers continued to add talent, but with clearer prioritisation of critical roles.
Key trends observed:
- Growth over the last six months moderated to 4%, indicating controlled intake
- Organisations prioritised high-impact roles over bulk hiring
- Productivity, efficiency, and skill depth shaped hiring decisions
Industry Trends: Impact, Manufacturing, and Digital Sectors Lead
Industry-wise data shows that hiring growth in 2025 was broad-based, with 24 out of 27 industries recording year-on-year expansion, reflecting sustained employer confidence across sectors.
Key industry insights:
- Non-profit organisations (NPOs) recorded the highest hiring growth at 55% YoY, driven by programme expansion, CSR-led funding, and operational formalisation
- Consumer electronics saw 53% YoY growth, supported by domestic manufacturing expansion, PLI-led localisation, and increased demand for production, R&D, and supply-chain roles
- Healthcare & pharmaceuticals grew 45% YoY, reflecting rising healthcare demand, capacity expansion, and continued hiring across clinical, technical, and support roles
- Manufacturing (+39%), logistics & transportation (+37%), retail (+34%), media & entertainment (+36%), and real estate (+35%) posted consistent gains, driven by consumption recovery, infrastructure activity, and digital-led scale
Functional Trends: Leadership and Technology at the Core
Function-wise hiring trends in 2025 indicate a clear shift toward roles that enable scale, governance, and enterprise-wide transformation.
Key functional patterns:
- Senior management roles recorded the strongest growth at 39% YoY, reflecting demand for strategic leadership, transformation oversight, and execution capability
- IT hiring grew 30% YoY, led by demand for skills in AI, cloud, data engineering, and cybersecurity
- HR & Admin (+33%), Finance & Accounting (+25%), and Sales & Business Development (+23%) saw strong growth, signalling investments in organisational stability, governance, and revenue execution
- Support and specialist functions such as legal (+12%) and creative (+10%) continued to hire selectively, aligned with business priorities.
Tier-2 Cities: The Next Phase of Hiring Expansion
Geographic hiring trends in 2025 point to a structural shift toward a more distributed, multi-city talent model.
Key location trends:
- Tier-2 cities led growth, with Coimbatore (+24% YoY) and Ahmedabad (+21% YoY) emerging as high-growth hiring hubs
- Among metros, Bengaluru (+23%) and Hyderabad (+21%) continued to anchor overall hiring, driven by technology, manufacturing, BFSI, and GCC expansion
- Mumbai (+22%) and Chennai (+18%) reinforced their strength in finance, marketing, and consumer-facing roles
- Employers increasingly expanded beyond traditional metros to access wider talent pools, optimise costs, and support regional scale
Experience-Level Trends: Mid-Senior Talent Gains Prominence
Hiring by experience level shows that demand in 2025 was concentrated in professionals who combine expertise with execution capability.
Key experience-level insights:
- Strongest demand was seen for professionals with 7–10 years of experience
- Entry-level hiring remained healthy to build future talent pipelines
- Demand for professionals with 11–15 years of experience stayed stable
- Hiring at the 15+ years level was selective, reflecting leaner leadership structures
Outlook for 2026: Steady Growth, Sharper Focus
India’s hiring outlook for 2026 remains positive, with recruitment expected to grow by 2.3 percentage points, translating to an estimated 1.28 crore jobs. Growth is expected to be more front-loaded in the first half of the year, as organisations align hiring with investment and expansion plans.
Sector Outlook
- Hiring demand will remain strongest in technology, BFSI, manufacturing, infrastructure, and renewable energy
- Consumer electronics and media & entertainment are expected to lead sectoral growth
- Healthcare, life sciences, and NGOs will continue to expand steadily
- Trade-linked industries are likely to see more moderated hiring.
Role and Skill Outlook
- Demand will be highest for roles in AI, cloud, data engineering, cybersecurity, and digital transformation
- Mid-to-senior professionals who can manage scale, complexity, and execution will be prioritised
- Leadership and specialist roles will continue to command hiring premiums
Geographic Outlook
- Bengaluru and Hyderabad are expected to lead hiring growth in 2026
- Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Kochi, and multiple Tier-2 cities are likely to record steady expansion
- Tier-2 hubs will play a growing role in technology, operations, and shared services
Trends in Focus for 2026
As organisations plan for the year ahead, four structural trends are expected to shape hiring decisions:
- Tech and semiconductor push: Continued investment in AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and embedded systems, supported by GCC expansion
- Leadership and mid-career demand: Ongoing preference for professionals who can lead transformation and enterprise-scale initiatives
- Tier-2 talent diversification: Expansion of operations and select tech roles into Tier-2 cities to optimise cost and access talent
- Startups regaining momentum: Selective hiring driven by improved funding across SaaS, fintech, health tech, and AI-first ventures
The Shift Ahead
If 2025 marked a return to growth, 2026 will test organisational readiness. Hiring will be driven less by scale and more by skills, adaptability, and execution capability, reinforcing India’s position as a resilient and future-ready talent market.
