Hiring sentiment in India for the January-March 2025 quarter has risen by three percentage points compared to both the previous quarter and the same period last year, placing the country 15 points above the global average of 25% and ahead of the United States and Costa Rica, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.

Of the 3,150 Indian employers surveyed, 53% plan to expand their workforce, while 13% expect a decline in hiring or have no plans to backfill. The IT sector has regained its position as the strongest hiring driver with a net employment outlook (NEO) of 50%, followed by Financials & Real Estate (44%). Consumer Goods & Services (40%), Energy & Utilities (38%), and Healthcare & Life Sciences (38%) also rank among the top sectors.

“India remains one of the world’s fastest-growing large economies, with its position as the global leader in employment outlook for Jan-March 2025, highlighting the confidence of employers in the country’s economic trajectory,” said Sandeep Gulati, country manager, ManpowerGroup India and West Asia.

He further added: “Significant investments in artificial intelligence (AI), along with public funding, have benefited the IT sector’s employment market, resulting in the sector leading with an outlook of 50%. Investment from multinationals looking to reduce their operation costs appears to be benefitting India, and the outlook for 2025 looks more positive.”

Year-on-year, hiring sentiment has improved in all four regions, with quarter-on-quarter growth in three of them. West India leads with a 43% outlook, up four points from the previous quarter, followed by east India at 41%, which saw an 11-point rise. The north (39%) recorded a slight dip, while the south (38%) posted a three-point increase.

Larger organisations continue to dominate hiring, with firms employing 250-999 and 5,000+ reporting the highest outlooks at 48%.

The survey also highlighted growing gender equity efforts across industries. Nearly 66% of organisations reported being on track with pay equity initiatives, an 8-percentage-point improvement over last year. The IT sector leads with 78%, followed by Financials & Real Estate (69%), Consumer Goods & Services (67%), and Healthcare & Life Sciences (66%).

India’s hiring momentum, fuelled by the IT sector’s resurgence and widespread regional growth, coupled with advancing workplace equity, reinforces its standing as a global leader in employment optimism. For the Q1 2025 report, the NEO data collection was digitised across 42 markets. From October 1-31, 2024, 40,413 employers worldwide were surveyed about their hiring plans. 

The methodology, including the question and respondent profile, remains consistent, with organisation size and sector standardised for global comparison. All NEOs are seasonally adjusted for clarity and consistency.