India’s white-collar job market grew 17% year-on-year and 4% month-on-month in September 2025, driven by festive season demand and continued market resilience, according to the latest foundit Insights Tracker. Tier-2 and tier-3 cities led the uptrend with a 21% increase in hiring activity, outpacing the 14% growth recorded in metros. The surge was supported by business expansion into emerging hubs, underpinned by demand in warehousing, customer support, and retail.
While festive hiring lifted the overall demand, structural demand continued in logistics & transportation, healthcare & pharma and IT, powered by digital transformation, supply chain ramp-ups, and innovation in AI and analytics.
Consumer-facing sectors see strong festive gains
Consumer-facing sectors saw the strongest festive gains, with hiring in e-commerce rising 21%, hospitality up 24%, and gig roles surging 28%. Demand for entry-level professionals (0–3 years of experience) climbed to 45% in 2025, up from 42% a year earlier, reflecting employer preference for agile and cost-efficient talent amid the seasonal ramp-up.
“The festive rush also accelerated demand in hospitality, travel, and gig-based roles, reflecting a surge in domestic festive tourism. Additionally, there was a visible rise in creative freelancing opportunities across design, content, and marketing, showing how non-traditional and flexible work formats are increasingly shaping the employment landscape in emerging cities,” the report added.
What did Anupama Bhimrajka say?
Anupama Bhimrajka, vice president of marketing at foundit, said metro markets continue to deliver growth, but non-metro regions are driving the momentum. “This shift highlights a decentralised, diverse, and resilient employment landscape, creating opportunities for job seekers and strategic advantages for employers nationwide,” she added.
The report said that the broader trend shows a stable labour market with organisations seeking both experienced professionals and emerging talent. “Some challenges such as skills gaps and role mismatches persist, but businesses are increasingly prioritising strategic hiring to support growth, innovation, and digital adoption,” the report noted.
India’s hiring index rose to 380 in September 2025 from 324 in the same month last year, highlighting momentum across sectors. “The year-on-year growth is supported by a broad recovery in consumer sentiment and the expansion of both organised offline and digital retail formats. The modest month-on-month increase reflects steady demand as September kicked off India’s festive consumption cycle,” the report mentioned.
Across job functions, sales and marketing roles posted the strongest year-on-year gains at 5%, followed by customer support and operations at 4%. Creative and media hiring rose 4%, supported by marketing campaigns and OTT content activity, while technology and product roles remained stable with 3% growth. Finance and accounting roles increased 2%, aligned with festive demand for loans and credit services.
Among metros, hiring in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and Kolkata grew 14% year-on-year. Growth was led by strong demand in IT, BFSI, and media and entertainment sectors, with sustained hiring across tech, finance, and marketing roles.