India’s white-collar job market closed FY26 on its strongest footing in three years, powered by a broad-based surge in non-IT hiring, rising demand for high-value talent, and a sharp premium for AI/ML roles, according to the latest Naukri JobSpeak report.
The JobSpeak Index climbed to 2,858 in March, marking a 9% year-on-year rise and helping the full fiscal year clock an 8% growth — four times higher than FY’25’s modest 2% expansion. The rebound signals a decisive recovery in hiring momentum, even as traditional IT recruitment remained largely flat.
The real engine of growth was outside IT. Hospitality led the surge with a robust 21% annual jump, followed by BPO/ITES (18%), oil and gas (15%), education (15%), and real estate (14%). These sectors not only sustained consistent hiring throughout the year but also emerged as key drivers of entry-level recruitment.
A larger structural shift
In contrast, the IT sector’s stagnation masked a structural shift underway. Demand for artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) talent soared 37% in March and 45% over the full year, underscoring a rapid pivot toward specialised, future-ready skills. Moreover, the demand was heavily skewed toward top-tier salaries, with hiring in the `50 lakh-plus bracket surging 55%, far outpacing other pay segments.
Geographically, the AI/ML hiring boom threw up surprises. Kolkata topped the charts with a 56% growth, followed by Delhi-NCR at 44%, both outpacing established tech hubs such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad in this niche.
Another defining trend was the resurgence of fresher hiring. Recruitment for professionals with up to three years of experience grew 16% year-on-year—the fastest across all experience bands. Even more striking was the appetite for premium entry-level talent, with hiring in the `20 lakh-plus bracket rising 23%.
Unicorns and startups also returned to the hiring arena, posting a 24% increase, signalling renewed confidence in the innovation ecosystem.
Beyond metros, Tier-II cities emerged as steady hiring engines. Coimbatore stood out with positive growth in 11 of 12 months, ending March at 17%. Gandhinagar and Surat also maintained consistent momentum, supported largely by non-IT sectors such as BPO/ITES, pharmaceuticals, and oil and gas.
“The year closed on a distinctly stronger note, with non-IT sectors and Tier-II cities showing sustained resilience,” said Dr. Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer at Naukri. “What stood out was the demand for high-value talent—from freshers commanding premium salaries to AI/ML roles seeing the sharpest traction at the top end.”
With hiring becoming more diversified, geographically distributed, and skewed toward high-skill, high-pay roles, the labour market appears to be entering FY’27 on a firmer, more future-oriented footing.