India’s white-collar hiring in January 2026 started off steadily, showing a 3% year-on-year increase. The growth was primarily led by non-IT sectors and fresher recruitment, according to the Naukri JobSpeak Index report. Sectors like BPO/ITES saw a significant surge of over 21%, while hospitality/travel, insurance, and healthcare also experienced notable growth.
Banking and financial services witnessed a decline of 15% year-on-year, while the IT sector remained stable during the month. Notably, AI/ML roles within this landscape showed strong momentum with a rise of more than 34%. Over the past three months, BPO/ITES consistently ranked among the top 5 sectors for double-digit year-on-year growth.
In January 2026, hiring in the BPO/ITES sector saw a substantial 21% year-on-year increase, driven by demand across experience levels. The sector witnessed a 39% rise in fresher hiring and a 9% increase in professionals with 13-16 years of experience. Non-metro cities like Jaipur and Ahmedabad played crucial roles in driving this growth.
Foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) significantly contributed to the hiring surge, with an over 80% increase in hiring activity. Dr. Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer at Naukri, expressed optimism about the sustained growth in key sectors like BPO/ITES and Hospitality, as well as the performance of Indian IT MNCs, indicating a positive outlook for the job market.
Geographically, cities like Pune, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad led the hiring uptick, showcasing strong growth in both established southern hubs and emerging western markets.
