India, 1 February 2026: India's white-collar hiring began 2026 on a steady footing, with the Naukri JobSpeak Index climbing to 2637 points in January - a 3% YoY rise from 2550 points in January 2025.
Non-IT sectors were the primary drivers of this growth, with BPO/ITES surging +21%, Hospitality/Travel climbing +15%, Insurance advancing +7%, and Healthcare gaining +5%. Banking and Financial Services was one major non-IT sector to see a decline, slipping -15% YoY. Meanwhile, the IT sector remained flat for the month. Within this landscape, AI/ML roles sustained strong momentum with a +34% rise.
Overall fresher hiring grew +8%, signaling expanding entry-level opportunities across the board.
BPO/ITES Expansion Continues, Anchored by Non-Metro Markets and Foreign MNCs
Over the past three months, BPO/ITES has consistently ranked among the top 5 sectors for double-digit YoY growth. In January 2026, hiring in the sector rose 21% YoY, supported by broad-based demand across experience levels, including a strong 39% increase in fresher hiring and a 9% rise among professionals with 13-16 years of experience. Non-metro cities emerged as key drivers, with Jaipur (+66%) and Ahmedabad (+43%) posting standout contributions.
Foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) were a major force behind this surge, contributing more than an 80% increase in hiring activity.
Healthcare Sustains Steady Momentum with Wide Geographic and Experience Coverage
Healthcare recorded a +5% YoY growth in January 2026, underscoring its ongoing resilience as an essential sector over the past three months. Hiring showed positive expansion across experience bands, with fresher recruitment (0-3 years) leading at +11% YoY. Growth was also evident in the 8-12 years band (+4%), 13-16 years band (+7%), and 16+ years band (+4%).
Geographically, the uptick was spearheaded by Pune (+23%), Chennai (+18%), Bengaluru (+17%), and Ahmedabad (+16%), reflecting strong contributions from both established southern hubs and fast-emerging western markets. Indian MNCs drove much of this momentum, posting a robust +30% YoY increase in healthcare hiring.
Strategic Divergence in IT: Indian MNCs & 20+ LPA Hiring Defy Broader Sectoral Stagnation
While overall IT hiring slightly corrected by -2% YoY, Indian MNCs in the sector bucked the trend with a strong +32% increase in hiring activity. High-value roles (20+ LPA) also showed resilience with +10% growth.
Non-IT Sectors Emerge as the Engine of Fresher Hiring
Non-IT sectors have steadily expanded fresher hiring over the past year. In January 2026, hiring for 0-3 year roles rose sharply across key industries: Hospitality (+33%), Insurance (+35%), BPO/ITES (+39%), and Real Estate (+42%). This upward trend has held steady over the past three months, pointing to sustained momentum in entry-level talent absorption.
Dr. Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer, Naukri said, "It’s encouraging to see sustained year-on-year growth in key sectors like BPO/ITES and Hospitality. These areas have shown consistent momentum over recent months and have kicked off 2026 on a strong, positive note. Equally promising is the robust performance from Indian IT MNCs, which bodes well for the overall job market."
Methodology
The Naukri JobSpeak is a monthly index that tracks trends in India’s job market and hiring activity, based on new job postings (including free job listings*) and recruiter searches on Naukri.com’s resume database. Using July 2008 as the base month (Index = 1,000), the index analyses hiring patterns across industries, cities, and experience levels. It aggregates data from over 150,000 clients, covering 80 lakh+ new job mandates annually.
*Following the inclusion of free listings, hiring activity is witnessing a transient uplift due to higher participation from small and medium businesses, which is expected to normalise once the base adjusts over the next few months. The index excludes gig employment, hyperlocal hiring, and campus placements.
About Naukri
Naukri, pioneering e-recruitment in India since 1997, is the country's leading job site and Info Edge's flagship brand. As the first internet company to be listed in India, Info Edge through Naukri has maintained the highest market share and brand awareness among both job seekers and recruiters for over two decades. The platform has consistently outperformed competitors, making it synonymous with online job search in India.
