India’s job market maintained its strong upward trajectory in March 2025, with white-collar hiring growing 38% year-on-year (YoY), according to the latest foundit Insights Tracker (fit). While month-on-month (MoM) hiring remained stable, the six-month trend saw a 23% rise, signaling sustained employer optimism. The report highlights robust hiring in manufacturing, steady growth in BFSI, a gig economy on the rise, and a shift in fresher demand led by digital-first roles.
Hiring Trends: Manufacturing & BFSI Lead Growth
Overall, hiring grew 10% over the last three months, with manufacturing emerging as the top driver in March. Other sectors showing positive momentum include Logistics and transportation, BFSI, and Consumer Electronics.
- Manufacturing: +12% MoM growth and +78% YoY, driven by automation, smart manufacturing, and production-linked incentives. Demand is highest in Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bengaluru.
- Logistics & Transportation: +9% MoM and +46% YoY growth, fuelled by e-commerce and B2B supply chain investments.
- BFSI: 8% MoM and 57% YoY growth, led by fintech expansion, digital banking, and growing demand for compliance and advisory roles.
- Consumer Electronics: -6% dip MoM and 70% YoY growth, reflecting short-term slowdown but sustained demand across metros and industrial hubs.
Functional Trends: Surge in Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain Roles
All 13 job functions tracked by fit showed annual growth. While marketing and HR roles continued to surge, Supply Chain and Senior Management functions stood out.
- Marketing & Communication: -2% MoM and +26% YoY growth, reflecting the boom in digital-first brand strategies.
- Procurement & Supply Chain: 9% MoM growth and 26% YoY, driven by vendor optimisation and D2C scale-ups.
- Finance & Accounting: +4% MoM and +39% YoY, with Mumbai and NCR remaining the top hiring zones.
- Medical Roles: Flat MoM growth and 35% YoY, highlighting steady investment in healthcare talent.
City-wise Hiring Trends – Pune Steady, Vadodara Leads MoM Growth
Metro hiring remained largely stable in March, but Tier-2 cities showed varied momentum.
- Coimbatore: Strongest YoY growth at 44%, driven by IT and manufacturing.
- Vadodara: Highest MoM growth at 4%, reflecting industrial demand.
- Pune: 38% YoY and flat MoM, with high demand in healthcare roles.
- Bengaluru & Hyderabad: Continued steady growth, with demand for IT and green jobs.
- Chennai & Mumbai: 29% and 32% YoY growth respectively, with Chennai leading BPO and BFSI roles.
Hiring Trends by Experience Level
Hiring demand remains highest for mid-career professionals, though fresher and associate-level hiring is also on the rise.
- Mid-senior roles (7-10 years): 40% YoY growth – the fastest-growing segment.
- Associate-level (4-6 years): 22% YoY growth, indicating maturing digital roles.
- Entry-level (0-3 years): 29% YoY growth – strong signs of talent pipeline recovery.
- Senior roles (11-15 years): 13% YoY growth.
- Leadership roles (16+ years): 13% YoY decline – cautious hiring continues at the top.
Gig Economy Expands Further – Demand for Tech & Consulting Roles
India’s gig workforce continues to rise, with a 17% YoY increase in hiring. Most demand comes from corporate-led models, with 66% of gigs in this category.
- Top sectors: IT-Software & Services, Education/Edtech, BPM/ BPO, Internet & Telecom.
- Top roles: Coders/IT Consultants (30%), Data Scientists (15%), Graphic Designers (10%), Digital Marketing Experts (9%).
- Gig pay: 0–6 LPA remains dominant, but roles in AI, legal advisory, and project management offer higher salaries.
- Top gig cities: Delhi-NCR (26%), Mumbai (18%), Bengaluru (12%).
About the foundit Insights Tracker
The foundit Insights Tracker (fit), previously known as the Monster Employment Index, is foundit’s monthly deep-dive into hiring trends across India. Drawing from millions of job postings, fit delivers comprehensive insights into sectoral demand, functional growth, city-wise shifts, and salary benchmarks, providing a clear view of India’s dynamic job market.
