New Delhi, Feb 2 India's white-collar hiring began 2026 on a steady footing, with a 3 per cent rise (year-on-year) in January, driven by non-IT sectors and fresher hiring, a report showed on Monday.
Non-IT sectors were the primary drivers of this growth, with BPO/ITES surging more than 21 per cent, hospitality/travel climbing over 15 per cent, insurance advancing more than 7 per cent, and healthcare gaining more than 5 per cent, as per the Naukri JobSpeak Index.
Banking and financial services was one major non-IT sector to see a decline, slipping 15 per cent (on-year). Meanwhile, the IT sector remained flat for the month. Within this landscape, AI/ML roles sustained strong momentum with a more than 34 per cent rise.
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 per cent YoY, supported by broad-based demand across experience levels, including a strong 39 per cent increase in fresher hiring and a 9 per cent rise among professionals with 13-16 years of experience. Non-metro cities emerged as key drivers, with Jaipur (more than 66 per cent) and Ahmedabad (over 43 per cent) posting standout contributions.
Foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) were a major force behind this surge, contributing more than an 80 per cent increase in hiring activity, said the report.
“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,” said Dr Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer, Naukri.
Geographically, the uptick was spearheaded by Pune (over 23 per cent), Chennai (+18 per cent), Bengaluru (+17 per cent), and Ahmedabad (+16 per cent), reflecting strong contributions from both established southern hubs and fast-emerging western markets, the findings showed.
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