VMPL
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 18: India's job market closed 2025 on a strong note, recording a +23% year-on-year increase in hiring activity, according to the foundit insights tracker (fit) by leading jobs and talent platform, foundit. This surge reflects robust employer confidence, steady recruitment across major industries, and the rising prominence of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities as strategic talent hubs. However, growth in the second half of the year moderated to +4% over six months, indicating a shift toward more calibrated, productivity-led hiring.
"2025 shaped up as a year of strong expansion but disciplined hiring. We witnessed the decentralisation of talent, with Tier-2 hubs becoming operational anchors for tech, BFSI, logistics and retail," said Anupama Bhimrajka, VP, Marketing, foundit. "As we head into 2026, demand for AI-ready skills, strategic leadership, and mid-career digital talent will keep momentum high despite measured intake in some sectors."
HIRING TRENDS FOR 2025
NPOs, Consumer Electronics, and Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Emerge as the Fastest-Growing Industries (YoY)
With 24 out of 27 industries reporting a surge in recruitment activity over the past year, the data points to a broad-based revival in hiring sentiment.
* Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) emerged as the fastest-growing sector, with hiring up 55% YoY, reflecting rising demand for impact-led roles
* Consumer Electronics (+53%) and Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals (+45%) saw strong momentum, driven by manufacturing expansion and healthcare demand
* Core sectors such as Manufacturing (+39%), Logistics & Transportation (+37%), and Construction & Engineering (+34%) recorded steady growth, signalling infrastructure and supply-chain strength
* Services-led sectors including Media & Entertainment (+36%), Retail (+34%), and BFSI (+27%) continued to expand alongside consumer demand and digital adoption
Beyond the headline growth sectors, this momentum underscores how India's job market is being powered by a mix of impact-led roles, manufacturing expansion and digital-first business models reflecting a labour market that is not just recovering but evolving at speed.
Senior Management and IT Lead India's Functional Hiring Growth
With 11 of 13 functions reporting sustained annual growth, 2025 marks a clear revival in demand for specialised and leadership talent. Senior Management and IT roles are seeing the strongest momentum, driven by digital transformation, strategic expansion and the rise of AI-enabled business models.
* Senior Management roles saw the strongest growth at +39% YoY, highlighting demand for strategic and transformation leadership
* IT hiring rose 30% YoY, supported by digital modernisation and AI-led initiatives
* Corporate support functions recorded healthy growth, led by HR & Admin (+33%) and Finance & Accounting (+25%)
* Sales & Business Development (+23%) remained resilient as companies focused on revenue and market expansion
* Creative and specialist roles, including Marketing & Communications (+14%) and Legal (+12%), saw steady but selective hiring
The surge in mid-to-senior level hiring across HR, Finance and Sales indicates that companies are prioritising experienced professionals who can steer execution, strengthen governance and accelerate technology adoption in a rapidly evolving market.
Tier-2 Cities Lead India's Next Wave of Job Market Growth
India's job market in 2025 shows strong geographic momentum, with Tier-2 cities like Coimbatore and Ahmedabad emerging as high-growth talent hubs.
* Tier-2 cities emerged as high-growth talent hubs, led by Coimbatore (+24%) and Ahmedabad (+19%), reflecting decentralised hiring strategies
* Bengaluru (+23%) and Hyderabad (+21%) continued to anchor national hiring, driven by tech, manufacturing, and BFSI demand
* Mumbai (+22%) and Pune (+19%) reinforced their strength in finance, consumer-facing, and enterprise roles
Overall, 2025 saw hiring momentum spread beyond traditional metros, signalling a more distributed and cost-optimised talent model. The varied growth patterns across cities reflect a more distributed hiring landscape, with companies widening their talent search beyond traditional metros to support scale and regional market penetration.
Experience Levels: Mid-Senior Talent Gains Ground
* Mid-to-senior professionals (7-10 years) saw the strongest growth at +29% YoY, underscoring demand for execution-ready talent
* Early-career hiring (0-3 years) grew 19% YoY, reflecting continued entry-level intake
* Hiring for 4-6 years experience roles rose 15% YoY, indicating steady mid-level demand
* 15+ years roles saw marginal contraction (-1%), pointing to more selective, lean leadership structures
OUTLOOK FOR 2026
* India's hiring outlook for 2026 signals steady growth, with overall recruitment expected to rise by 2.3 percentage points, translating to an estimated 1.28 crore jobs, and hiring concentrated in the first half of the year.
* Demand will be strongest for mid-to-senior talent in digital, AI, cloud, data and cybersecurity, driven by continued enterprise transformation.
* Tech, BFSI, manufacturing, infrastructure and renewable energy are set to lead hiring, with emerging sectors like fintech, health tech and electric mobility creating niche opportunities.
* Hiring is expected to expand beyond metros as companies develop talent hubs in Tier 2 cities to optimise costs and access wider talent pools.
* Overall, 2026 is shaping up to be a skills-led year of hiring, as growth expands beyond metros and strengthens India's position as a resilient and future-ready talent market.
Trends in Focus for 2026
1. Tech and Semiconductor Push
Demand will remain strongest in AI, cloud, data engineering, cybersecurity, and embedded systems, supported by continued GCC expansion and early-stage semiconductor design activity in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and select Tier-2 hubs.
2. Leadership and Mid-Career Demand
Hiring is expected to continue favouring mid-to-senior professionals who can lead digital programmes, manage transformation roadmaps, and drive cost-efficient scaling as companies shift from pilot projects to enterprise-wide execution.
3. Tier-2 Talent Diversification
Firms will increasingly be expanding support, operations, and select tech functions into Tier-2 cities to optimise cost structures and tap into growing engineering and digital talent pools outside metros.
4. Startups Regain Momentum
Renewed funding across SaaS, fintech, health tech, and AI-first ventures is set to drive selective hiring in product, engineering, growth, and revenue roles, even as startups remain disciplined on non-core functions.
Top Hiring Industries in 2026
India's hiring outlook for 2026 is led by Consumer Electronics and Media, with a 5-percentage-point (pp) increase, followed by Healthcare, Life Sciences and Pharma at +4 pp. IT and Construction sectors are close behind at +3 pp. The core sectors and services are expected to see steady expansion, while trade-linked industries are likely to experience comparatively slower growth.
Top Hiring Locations in 2026
In 2026, Bengaluru and Hyderabad are set to lead hiring with 3 percentage points growth, driven by tech, GCCs, AI, cloud, and semiconductor operations. Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Kochi, and Tier-2 cities such as Coimbatore, Jaipur, and Baroda are expected to record a steady 2 percentage points growth, while Delhi-NCR remains flat. Overall, the trend reflects India's shift toward a distributed, multi-city talent model.
About foundit:
foundit, formerly Monster (APAC & ME) is a leading talent platform offering comprehensive employment solutions to recruiters and job seekers across APAC & ME. In addition to a powerful AI-powered job search, foundit offers e-learning, assessments, and services related to resume creation, interview preparation, and professional networking. Since its inception, the company has assisted over 120 million job seekers across 18 countries in upskilling and connecting them with the right job opportunities.
Over the last two decades, the company has been a leader in the world of recruitment solutions and has recently launched a cutting-edge solution to give recruiters access to passive candidates in addition to active ones. With the use of advanced technology, foundit is seeking to efficiently bridge the talent gap across industry verticals, experience levels, and geographies. Today, foundit is committed to enabling and connecting the right talent with the right opportunities by harnessing the power of deep tech to sharpen hyper-personalised job searches and offer precision hiring. Additionally, foundit has been recognised as a Great Place To Work, reflecting its dedication to fostering a supportive and dynamic work culture.
To learn more about foundit in APAC & Gulf, visit: www.foundit.in | www.founditgulf.com | www.foundit.sg | www.foundit.my | www.foundit.com.ph | www.foundit.com.hk| www.foundit.id
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