India’s white-collar hiring market gathered momentum in August, with recruitment activity rising 14% year-on-year, driven by strong demand for artificial intelligence, machine learning and specialised technology professionals, according to a Naukri report. The Naukri JobSpeak Index climbed to 3,028 in August 2026 from 2,664 in the same month last year. AI and machine learning roles led the hiring momentum, recording 31% growth.
Auto, Healthcare and Retail Lead Hiring
Among major sectors, automobile hiring increased 19%, followed by healthcare at 16% and retail at 15%. Insurance recruitment grew 12%, while IT hiring rose 11%. Banking and FMCG recorded 10% growth each. BPO/ITES, oil and gas, and real estate registered an 8% increase. Pharma and biotech hiring remained flat, while hospitality and travel declined 4% and education fell 8%. India’s job market also remained favourable for freshers, with entry-level recruitment rising 15%. Hiring for professionals with four to seven years of experience increased 10%. Demand for candidates with eight to 12 years of experience rose 16%, while recruitment in the 13-16-year category jumped 18%. Healthcare and life sciences roles recorded 34% growth, followed by media production and entertainment at 33%, engineering hardware and networks at 30%, and BFSI, investments and trading at 29%.
Hyderabad Tops Metro Hiring
Among major cities, Hyderabad recorded the strongest white-collar hiring growth at 23%, followed by Kolkata at 22% and Chennai at 20%. Bengaluru and Pune grew 14% each, Delhi-NCR 10% and Mumbai 7%. IT/software services hiring increased 11%, while demand for IT and information security professionals surged 32%. Global Capability Centre (GCC) hiring rose 10%, led by Hyderabad at 28% and Chennai at 21%, highlighting continued demand for specialised technology talent across India’s major business hubs.
