AI/ML Hiring Grew 20% in September While India's White-Collar Market Flatlined

Hiring for artificial intelligence and machine learning roles in India jumped 20% year-on-year in September, even as the broader white-collar market barely moved, according to the Naukri JobSpeak report published October 2.

The Naukri JobSpeak Index climbed 2% to 3,053 in September from 3,002 a year earlier. That headline stability conceals a sharp divergence: specialised AI talent and experienced professionals are absorbing nearly all of the demand growth, while traditional sectors and entry-level candidates fall behind.

What does the September data show?

Hitesh Oberoi, Managing Director and CEO of Info Edge (India) Ltd, Naukri's parent company, said the figures point to a market that is steady but increasingly selective.

"While overall hiring was broadly stable, demand continued to move towards specialised skills, particularly AI, and more experienced professionals," Oberoi said. He added that gaps across sectors and cities show employers are hiring against specific business and capability needs rather than filling seats broadly.

The starkest split sits inside technology itself. Overall IT and software-services hiring fell 4% year-on-year in September, yet AI/ML hiring grew 20%. For an engineer in a conventional software role, the market is contracting; for one with machine-learning skills, it is expanding at double-digit pace.

Where is the AI demand concentrated?

Experience level determines who captures the AI premium:

• Professionals with 13–16 years of experience: hiring up 54%
• Professionals with 8–12 years of experience: up 28%
• Freshers in AI/ML roles: up 19%

The pattern repeats across the wider market. Hiring for candidates with 13–16 years of experience rose 7%, while the 16-plus and 8–12 year cohorts each grew 5% and 5% respectively. Fresher hiring advanced just 1%, and the 4–7 years bracket declined 2%.

For a mid-career professional, the September numbers translate directly into leverage: employers are paying attention — and posting roles — for depth, not volume. A candidate with eight or more years of experience sits in the strongest demand bands of the entire index. A fresher or early-career applicant faces a market growing at 1% or shrinking outright.

Which sectors and cities gained?

Sector performance diverged sharply in September:

• Auto: hiring up 11%
• BPO/ITES and Global Capability Centres (GCCs): up 4% each
• Hospitality/Travel: down 11%
• Education: down 18%

GCC hiring had a clear geographic hierarchy. Hyderabad led with 23% year-on-year growth, followed by Chennai at 13% and Pune at 11%. For operations and capability-centre professionals, those three cities currently offer the densest concentration of openings.

What does this mean for jobseekers?

The September JobSpeak data suggests a market rewarding two things simultaneously: specialised skills — above all AI — and accumulated experience. An IT professional without AI/ML exposure is competing in a segment that shrank 4%; the same professional with machine-learning credentials competes in one growing 20%, with the steepest gains reserved for those past the eight-year mark.

The report's September trends indicate that hiring growth ahead is likely to stay concentrated in specialised skills and experienced talent rather than spreading broadly across sectors and experience levels.