India’s white-collar recruitment picked up pace in February 2026 as companies accelerated hiring to support digital transformation and AI adoption. Recruitment activity rose 12% year‑on‑year, reflecting renewed employer confidence and broad-based demand across technology and non‑technology sectors.
AI adoption and IT sector recovery propel demand
Employers across industries are recruiting talent skilled in artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics to implement automation, predictive analytics and generative AI solutions. Demand for AI and ML specialists surged around 40% year‑on‑year, driven by use cases in financial services, healthcare, retail and enterprise software.
The IT sector, which had moderated hiring amid global economic uncertainty, showed signs of recovery with recruitment up over 6% year‑on‑year. Industry observers attribute this rebound to resumed project pipelines, cloud and SaaS investments, and renewed vendor confidence in large‑scale digital programmes.
Indian multinationals emerge as major hirers
Indian multinational companies contributed strongly to the hiring upswing, increasing recruitment by 55% year‑on‑year. These firms expanded hiring particularly for technology and product roles as they scale digital services and build in‑house innovation capabilities.
Notably, Indian MNCs raised hiring for AI and ML roles by nearly 82% year‑on‑year, outpacing the 43% growth seen at foreign multinationals operating in India. The trend underscores Indian tech firms’ push to compete globally in emerging tech domains and to deepen their specialist talent pools.
Entry‑level hiring and premium roles both rise
Fresh graduates are also benefiting from the upturn. Overall hiring of freshers increased 17% year‑on‑year, while entry‑level hiring in the IT sector rose about 8%, indicating renewed emphasis on building long‑term talent pipelines.
Simultaneously, demand for experienced professionals commanding higher pay is growing: roles with annual packages of ₹20 lakh and above saw a 23% increase in hiring. Employers cite the need for senior specialists who can lead product development, AI programmes and cloud transformations.
Non‑IT sectors register notable growth
Several non‑technology industries recorded double‑digit hiring growth. Insurance led with a 28% increase, while BPO and IT‑enabled services expanded recruitment by 22%. Real estate, hospitality and travel, and retail also posted healthy gains as consumer demand and business operations pick up.
Sectoral hiring gains reflect a combination of expanded operations, renewed consumer activity and fresh investments across the economy, supporting broader employment momentum beyond tech.
Outlook
The Naukri JobSpeak Index stood at 3,233 in February 2026 versus 2,890 a year earlier, corroborating the 12% rise in recruitment activity. With AI, automation and digitalisation central to corporate strategies, and the IT sector stabilising, hiring momentum is likely to remain constructive in the near term.
For job seekers, the current trends point to increasing opportunities across technology and non‑technology roles, from entry‑level positions to high‑pay specialist jobs, as companies invest in talent to drive innovation and growth.
