India’s job market continued its strong upward trajectory in February 2025, with white-collar hiring growing 41% year-on-year (YoY) and 17% over six months, highlighting sustained employer confidence. The foundit Insights Tracker (fit) for February 2025 outlines key hiring trends, including a surge in fresher hiring, rising demand for supply chain professionals, and Pune’s emergence as a major hiring hub.
Hiring Trends: Sectors Driving Growth
The overall job market saw a 10% month-on-month (MoM) increase in hiring, with notable momentum in BPO, Import & Export, Energy, and Logistics & Transportation. Several high-growth industries are leading this surge:
- BPO: The fastest-growing sector, with a 14% MoM increase, bouncing back from a decline in January. AI-driven automation and Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are fueling demand for skilled talent.
- Import & Export: Hiring grew 14% MoM and 31% YoY, supported by global trade expansion, export-friendly policies, and rising demand for logistics professionals.
- Energy: A 12% MoM increase and 40% YoY growth was driven by India’s growing investment in renewable energy and power infrastructure.
- Retail: Hiring rose 9% MoM and 34% YoY, powered by e-commerce expansion and omnichannel retail strategies.
- Consumer Electronics: The sector registered an 84% YoY and 8% MoM increase, making it one of the top-performing industries.
Rising Demand for Finance & Supply Chain Professionals
All 13 job functions tracked by the foundit Insights Tracker showed annual growth. Key functional hiring trends include:
- Finance & Accounting: 30% YoY growth and 7% MoM increase, driven by digital transformation, fintech expansion, and regulatory changes. Hiring surged in Mumbai, Chennai, and Delhi-NCR.
- Procurement & Supply Chain: Hiring grew 15% YoY and 7% MoM, fueled by Make in India, PLI schemes, and the rapid rise of direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands.
- Medical Roles: Hiring surged 42% YoY and 4% MoM, reflecting the continued emphasis on healthcare.
- Marketing & Communications: Demand rose 29% YoY and 5% MoM, as brands focused on digital expansion.
- HR & Admin: 39% YoY and 5% MoM growth, driven by renewed hiring in talent acquisition and workforce management.
- Sales & Business Development (BD): Hiring grew 22% YoY and 2% MoM, maintaining steady demand.
Fresher Hiring Sees Strong Growth
The fresher job market expanded significantly, with 26% YoY growth and 6% MoM growth, reinforcing employer confidence in entry-level talent. A major trend shaping fresher hiring is the rise in skill-based hiring, with roles not requiring a formal degree increasing from 4% in 2023 to 14% in 2025.
Key insights:
- IT – Hardware & Software remains the top recruiter for freshers, growing from 17% in 2024 to 34% in 2025, as digital skills and AI-driven roles gain prominence.
- Marketing & Communications hiring jumped from 4% in 2023 to 11% in 2025, reflecting increasing demand for digital marketing and brand management professionals.
- Sales & Business Development continues to see high demand, with an 18% share of fresher jobs.
- Fresher salaries are rising, with Animation & Gaming witnessing a 15% YoY salary increase, and Healthcare & Medical roles offering the highest entry-level salaries (₹13.17 LPA – ₹18.49 LPA).
Geographic Hiring Trends – Pune Leads, Ahmedabad, & Tier-2 Cities Gain Momentum
While Bengaluru and Hyderabad continue to dominate hiring, Pune emerged as the fastest-growing job market, registering 7% MoM growth and 39% YoY growth.
- Bengaluru: Hiring grew 43% YoY, with strong demand in IT, BFSI, and green jobs.
- Ahmedabad: 6% MoM growth, making it the fastest-growing Tier-2 city.
- Delhi-NCR & Mumbai: Hiring surged 31% and 30% YoY, respectively, led by finance, tech, and logistics roles.
- Coimbatore & Jaipur: Strong 45% and 22% YoY hiring growth, signaling growing employment opportunities in Tier-2 hubs.
Hiring Trends by Experience Level
The strongest hiring growth was recorded in mid-career and fresher roles:
- Mid-senior roles (7-10 years): 36% YoY growth, the fastest among all experience levels.
- Entry-level hiring (0-3 years): 26% YoY growth, reflecting a strong demand for fresh talent.
- Senior-level hiring (11-15 years): 10% growth, while leadership roles (16+ years) saw a 10% decline, indicating slower demand for executive positions.
About the foundit Insights Tracker
The foundit Insights Tracker (fit), previously known as the Monster Employment Index, is foundit’s authoritative monthly report on hiring trends in India. It analyses millions of jobs to provide a panoramic view of the recruitment activity of the job market in India and delves into the hiring trends in different sectors.
