India’s white-collar job market continued to show strength in April 2025, with an 18% year-on-year (YoY) increase in hiring activity, underscoring sustained employer confidence despite a 7% month-on-month (MoM) dip. The foundit Insights Tracker (fit) highlights key movements in sectoral hiring, startup employment, and functional demand, even as companies recalibrate short-term strategies to prioritise long-term talent resilience and regional inclusion.
Hiring Trends – Industry
April saw hiring growth across all 27 monitored industries on an annual basis, with Healthcare, Consumer Electronics, and Media & Entertainment emerging as top-performing sectors.
- Consumer Electronics led the pack with a +70% YoY surge, driven by India’s expanding role in the semiconductor space. MoM growth stood at +6%, with strong demand for talent in chip design and embedded systems.
- Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals recorded +57% YoY and +11% MoM growth—one of the strongest monthly jumps—on the back of sustained investment in R&D, digital health, and life sciences.
- Construction & Engineering and Real Estate saw +49% and +45% YoY growth respectively, aligned with the ongoing infrastructure push.
- Media & Entertainment posted a +41% YoY rise, continuing its post-pandemic digital upswing.
- Despite a +35% YoY increase, BFSI witnessed a -12% MoM drop—the sharpest among major sectors—suggesting short-term caution.
- IT – Software & Services also saw muted movement, with a +16% YoY but -11% MoM trend amid project pauses and cautious sentiment.
- Other sectors like Retail (+29%), FMCG (+20%), and Travel & Tourism (+10%) continued to post steady gains, reflecting ongoing consumer and services sector resilience.
Hiring Trends – Functional Area
All 13 functional areas recorded annual growth in April 2025, with demand concentrated in strategic, operational, and leadership roles.
- HR & Admin led the surge with a +37% YoY increase, as companies invested in people strategy and internal capability building. However, hiring dipped -6% MoM, likely due to appraisal season slowdowns.
- Senior Management hiring rose +30% YoY and +3% MoM, indicating sustained demand for leadership across BFSI, Manufacturing, and IT.
- Medical Roles and Finance & Accounting each saw +27% YoY growth, with steady MoM trends, pointing to robust demand in healthcare operations and financial planning.
- Sales & Business Development posted a +23% YoY rise, though hiring cooled -4% MoM as firms recalibrated post-Q1 targets.
- Moderate annual growth in hiring was seen in Procurement & Supply Chain (+22%), Marketing & Communications (+16%), and Legal (+16%), although each saw MoM declines amid strategic hiring holds.
- IT hiring rose +9% YoY but dropped -5% MoM, reflecting cautious sentiment across tech-heavy roles.
- Functions such as Customer Service (+11%), Hospitality (+8%), and Medical (+8%) remained stable but slowed slightly MoM.
Geographic Hiring Trends – Coimbatore Leads Growth, Metros See Seasonal Dip
While Tier-1 metros remained the largest contributors to job volume, many saw a short-term hiring dip. In contrast, Tier-2 cities stood out for their annual growth:
Coimbatore led the chart with a 28% YoY increase, followed by Bengaluru (+24%) and Hyderabad (+23%).
Ahmedabad remained stable MoM, defying the 4% drop seen in most other cities.
Chandigarh witnessed the steepest MoM decline (-9%).
Hiring Trends – Experience Level
Hiring demand remained strongest for early to mid-career professionals.
- Entry-level (0–3 years) roles saw a 20% YoY rise, reaffirming strong demand for fresh talent.
- Mid-senior (7–10 years) hiring grew 34% YoY, reflecting the need for experienced professionals to support scaling operations.
- Roles requiring 16+ years of experience declined 13% YoY, suggesting reduced leadership churn and slower CXO-level movement.
Startup Spotlight – Smart Scaling in Focus
- India’s startup ecosystem recorded a 32% YoY surge in hiring, signalling a shift from hypergrowth to strategic, product-led expansion. With 34% of jobs now remote and Tier-2 cities like Jaipur, Indore, and Coimbatore seeing rapid growth, startups are embracing decentralised, skill-focused hiring models.
- By industry, IT – Software & Services saw the strongest rise, with its share of startup jobs increasing from 23% to 32%, followed by a rebound in Healthcare (from 6% to 9%) on the back of healthtech investments. In contrast, Edtech, Internet, and Media & Entertainment sectors continued to decline.
- By function, IT roles nearly doubled their share from 23% to 45%, with demand surging for full-stack developers, DevOps engineers, and AI/ML talent. Product Management also grew from 9% to 14%, cementing its role in scalable growth.
- Hiring for Sales & BD dropped sharply (from 23% to 14%), while Consulting and Operations gained traction as startups prioritised efficiency and market fit. Marketing & Communications remained stable at 6%.
- Notably, the share of fresher roles dropped from 53% to 41%, with increased demand for professionals with 4–10 years of experience.
The April 2025 edition of the foundit Insights Tracker signals a job market that is evolving in structure and intent. With a strong foundation in healthcare, technology, and digital infrastructure, the market is clearly transitioning from volume-led hiring to value-driven recruitment. As Tier-2 cities rise, startups recalibrate, and strategic roles gain importance, India’s hiring outlook remains cautiously optimistic, geared for resilience and smart growth.
