Higher-paying roles in Artificial Intelligence ( AI) and premium talent are driving India’s white-collar job market.
India’s white-collar hiring ended FY26 on a stronger note, with the Naukri JobSpeak Index rising 9% year-on-year in March to 2858, taking full-year growth to 8%—a sharp improvement from 2% in FY25. Yet, the numbers tell a deeper story: companies are not just hiring more, they are hiring selectively—and paying more for high-value talent.
Top salary bands see the sharpest jump
The most significant growth is visible at the upper end of the pay scale, particularly in emerging technology roles.
₹50 lakh+ roles surged 55% in AI/ML hiring
₹40–49 LPA jobs grew 40%
₹30–39 LPA roles rose 41%
This trend signals a clear shift: organisations are prioritising specialised, high-impact roles, even as overall hiring recovers.
Freshers enter premium salary territory
The change is also visible at the entry level.
Overall fresher hiring (0–3 years) increased 16% YoY
Demand for freshers earning ₹20 LPA+ rose 23% YoY
While opportunities have expanded across salary bands, the fastest growth is in high-value entry-level roles, indicating that companies are willing to pay more—but only for candidates with strong, job-ready skills.
Unicorn hiring also emerged as a bright spot which witnessed a +24 per cent YOY surge.
AI/ML roles lead the high-salary demand
Artificial intelligence and machine learning continue to dominate premium hiring trends.
AI/ML hiring grew 37% YoY in March
For the full fiscal, it rose 45%
Notably, demand is concentrated at the top salary levels, reflecting a premium on experienced professionals and advanced capabilities.
Cities like Kolkata (+56%) and Delhi NCR (+44%) led AI hiring growth, even outpacing traditional tech hubs such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Non-IT sectors drive broader hiring recovery
While IT hiring remained largely flat, non-IT sectors anchored the overall growth:
Hospitality: +21% YoY
BPO/ITES: +18%
Oil & Gas: +15%
Education: +15%
Real Estate: +14%
These sectors also led fresher hiring, with sharp increases in March:
Hospitality: +49%
BPO/ITES: +38%
Education: +25%
Service-driven non-IT sectors witnessed remarkable resilience throughout FY’26
Industries such as Hospitality, Education, and BPO/ITES emerged as the bedrock of stability, posting positive growth in every single month. These sectors were also the primary catalysts for entry-level recruitment; in March alone, fresher hiring surged by +49% in Hospitality, +38% in BPO/ITES, and +25% in Education. Close behind, Insurance and Real Estate maintained a strong trajectory, recording growth in 11 out of the 12 months.
Tier-II Cities Emerge as Consistent Hiring Engines Through FY’26
Emerging cities held their ground through FY’26, with the southern and western corridors leading the way. Coimbatore was the standout for consistency – positive growth in 11 of 12 months through the fiscal, closing March at +17%. Gandhinagar and Surat were similarly steady, each recording growth in more than seven of the twelve months, with March delivering +40% and +16% respectively.
The growth in these cities was largely anchored by non-IT sectors – BPO/ITES, Pharma, and Oil & Gas providing the bulk of the demand.
Fresher Hiring Soars, with High-Value Talent in Sharpest Demand
Overall hiring for professionals with 0-3 years of experience climbed 16% YOY, the highest growth rate across all experience brackets. While opportunities expanded across salary bands, the sharpest increase in demand was for high-value entry-level talent. Hiring for freshers in the 20+ LPA salary bracket grew by 23% YOY.
Startups show signs of revival
Unicorn hiring rose 24% YoY, indicating a gradual recovery in startup hiring activity after a period of slowdown.
“FY’26 has closed on a distinctly stronger note than last year, marked by the sustained resilience of non-IT sectors and tier II cities. What stood out in March was high-value talent in demand across the board; from freshers commanding premium salaries to AI/ML roles seeing sharpest traction at the 50+ LPA band.The foundation heading into FY’27 looks solid,” said Dr. Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer, Naukri.