AI/ML hiring powers ahead as demand for senior talent grows: Naukri JobSpeak Report

New Delhi: White-collar hiring in India remained steady in May, with job platform Naukri’s JobSpeak Index inching up to 2,807—a marginal rise from 2,799 a year ago. While the overall numbers held firm, hiring activity showed notable momentum in emerging sectors and among experienced professionals.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) roles saw a significant year-on-year jump of 25%, marking one of the sharpest spikes among job categories.

Metro cities led this surge, with Delhi NCR, Chennai and Kolkata recording growth rates of 35%, 34% and 33%, respectively. Hiring in this space spanned across experience levels, with professionals in the 13-16 years bracket seeing the biggest boost at 36% and freshers witnessing a 22% increase.

“In an otherwise stable job market, what stood out in May was the continued momentum in AI/ML hiring across metros alongside steady demand for senior professionals, a trend that’s held firm over the past year,” said Pawan Goyal, chief business officer at Naukri.

Senior professionals—those with over 16 years of experience—continued to be in demand, with hiring in this cohort growing by 6%.

Both metro and emerging cities contributed to this rise: Hyderabad and Kolkata posted growth rates of 16% and 13%, respectively, while Kochi (+23%) and Ahmedabad (+13%) were key drivers outside the metros.

Sector-wise, oil & gas (+21%) and real estate (+17%) showed the strongest appetite for senior talent.

Meanwhile, fresher hiring was largely flat, but some non-tech sectors showed positive momentum. Insurance led with a 26% increase in fresher recruitment, followed by real estate (+12%), BPO/ITES (+5%) and hospitality (+4%).

“Fresher hiring has also gained ground in non-tech industries, which bodes well for young talent,” Goyal added.

Hiring by unicorns—startups valued at over a billion dollars—also remained strong, recording a 19% annual rise. Delhi NCR (+29%), Hyderabad (+27%) and Bengaluru (+12%) emerged as the most active hubs. Banking & financial services (+29%) and internet/ecommerce (+18%) were the top sectors fuelling unicorn hiring.

New Delhi: White-collar hiring in India remained steady in May, with job platform Naukri’s JobSpeak Index inching up to 2,807—a marginal rise from 2,799 a year ago. While the overall numbers held firm, hiring activity showed notable momentum in emerging sectors and among experienced professionals.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) roles saw a significant year-on-year jump of 25%, marking one of the sharpest spikes among job categories.

Metro cities led this surge, with Delhi NCR, Chennai and Kolkata recording growth rates of 35%, 34% and 33%, respectively.

Hiring in this space spanned across experience levels, with professionals in the 13-16 years bracket seeing the biggest boost at 36% and freshers witnessing a 22% increase.

“In an otherwise stable job market, what stood out in May was the continued momentum in AI/ML hiring across metros alongside steady demand for senior professionals, a trend that’s held firm over the past year,” said Pawan Goyal, chief business officer at Naukri.

Senior professionals—those with over 16 years of experience—continued to be in demand, with hiring in this cohort growing by 6%.

Both metro and emerging cities contributed to this rise: Hyderabad and Kolkata posted growth rates of 16% and 13%, respectively, while Kochi (+23%) and Ahmedabad (+13%) were key drivers outside the metros.

Sector-wise, oil & gas (+21%) and real estate (+17%) showed the strongest appetite for senior talent.

Meanwhile, fresher hiring was largely flat, but some non-tech sectors showed positive momentum. Insurance led with a 26% increase in fresher recruitment, followed by real estate (+12%), BPO/ITES (+5%) and hospitality (+4%).

“Fresher hiring has also gained ground in non-tech industries, which bodes well for young talent,” Goyal added.

Hiring by unicorns—startups valued at over a billion dollars—also remained strong, recording a 19% annual rise. Delhi NCR (+29%), Hyderabad (+27%) and Bengaluru (+12%) emerged as the most active hubs. Banking & financial services (+29%) and internet/ecommerce (+18%) were the top sectors fuelling unicorn hiring.