India’s white-collar hiring grew 2% year-on-year in September 2026, with artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) roles continuing to outpace the broader market at 20% growth, according to the latest Naukri JobSpeak report.
The Naukri JobSpeak Index moved to 3,053 points in September 2026, up from 3,002 in September 2025, pointing to a modest but uneven recovery across industries, metros and experience bands. AI/ML emerged as the strongest single-skill category on the platform, with demand concentrating around specialised AI capabilities even as traditional IT hiring contracted.
Among industries, the automotive sector led growth at 11% year-on-year, followed by BPO/ITES and global capability centres (GCCs) at 4% each. In contrast, IT and software services hiring declined 4%, as did pharma/biotech and FMCG. Healthcare also slipped, while education, telecom and hospitality posted sizeable contractions.
“India’s white-collar hiring market remained largely steady in September 2026, recording 2% YoY growth, even as hiring trends diverged sharply across industries,” the Naukri JobSpeak report noted.
Hyderabad led metro hiring with 9% year-on-year growth. Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata also recorded gains, while Mumbai and Delhi-NCR each registered a 6% decline, pointing to a geographically mixed recovery across the country.
Across experience bands, hiring for senior professionals with 13 to 15 years of experience grew 7%, roles in the Rs 20+ lakh per annum salary band grew 23% year-on-year, and fresher hiring grew just 1%, with momentum for entry-level candidates varying considerably by sector. The 2% headline growth masked a market where high-value, specialised talent commanded disproportionate demand.
The Naukri JobSpeak Index tracks hiring activity in India’s white-collar market based on new job postings and recruiter searches on Naukri.com’s resume database, using July 2008 as the base month (Index = 1,000). The index is a widely-cited monthly indicator of white-collar hiring trends in India.
September’s data reinforces a pattern seen through much of 2026: hiring continues to concentrate around AI and emerging-technology roles while traditional IT services recruitment remains subdued.
