Indian White-Collar Hiring Up 2% in September Driven by AI Demand

2 Oct 2026, 5:19 pm · 12h ago · 1 min read · YourStory

White-collar hiring in India grew 2% year-on-year in September, driven primarily by a 20% surge in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) roles, according to the Naukri JobSpeak Index by Info Edge. The auto sector grew 11%, while GCC and BPO/ITES hiring expanded by 4% each. Conversely, IT services, pharma, and FMCG contracted by 4%, with education hiring falling 18%. Demand was strongest for senior professionals with over eight years of experience, while fresher hiring rose 1%. Among Indian metropolitan cities, Hyderabad led hiring growth at 9%, followed by Chennai at 6%.