India's hiring map is changing, with cities beyond the traditional metro hubs attracting more recruiters. Jaipur and Coimbatore are emerging as key locations for fresher hiring, while Chennai and Hyderabad continue to thrive in the Global Capability Centres (GCCs), according to Naukri's latest JobSpeak report.
The report also cites the growing demand for AI talent. Hiring for artificial intelligence and machine learning roles rose 25% year-on-year, as companies stepped up investments in generative AI, automation and data-driven technologies.
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Companies are increasingly prioritising specialised digital skills, even as hiring remains uneven across some traditional sectors. Core industries such as insurance industry recorded the strongest hiring growth, with recruitment rising 16% year-on-year, driven largely by demand in Chennai and Hyderabad. FMCG followed with a 7% increase, while hiring in telecom rose 6% and real estate 5%. Recruitment in BPO/ITES and pharma-biotech grew 4% each, while healthcare posted a modest 2% gain.
Hiring in the oil and gas sector remained largely unchanged.The picture, however, was mixed across the broader job market.
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Banking and financial services recorded the sharpest decline, with hiring falling 12% year-on-year. IT/software services and hospitality each saw a 3% drop, while retail and automobile sectors slipped 2% and 1%, respectively.
Hiring at Global Capability Centres (GCCs) dipped 1% overall, although Chennai and Hyderabad bucked the trend with GCC recruitment surging 19% and 15%, respectively.
Emerging cities also continued to strengthen their appeal for entry-level hiring, with Jaipur and Coimbatore registering 17% and 16% growth in fresher recruitment.
"Even as IT hiring has moderated, AI hiring within the sector grew 16% year-on-year in June. That divergence is important because it shows where tech companies are still investing. AI is increasingly becoming a core capability area, especially as demand shifts towards more senior and specialised talent," Hitesh Oberoi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Info Edge, said in the report.
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