Hiring in India rises 12% in February on AI push, IT sector recovery: Report

India's white-collar job market recorded a 12% year-on-year growth in February, amid increasing AI adoptions and a recovery in the IT sector, a report said on Tuesday.

White-collar job market posted its strongest February performance in recent years, with the Naukri JobSpeak Index reaching 3,233 points - up 12% from 2,890 points in February 2025.

The month-on-month acceleration from January to February came in at 23%, noticeably sharper than the 13-16% range typically seen between the two months, the report based on Naukri JobSpeak Index added.

The IT sector posted over 6% year-on-year growth in hiring in February 2026.

Freshers' hiring in the sector also grew by a healthy 8%.

India-based multi-national IT companies were the primary driver, recording a 55% hiring surge, the report said.

Within the IT sector, it said that AI/ML (artificial intelligence/machine learning) hiring rose 40%, reinforcing that February performance was concentrated in highest-skill, highest-value talent segments.

The Naukri JobSpeak is a monthly index that tracks trends in India's job market and hiring activity, based on new job postings and recruiter searches on Naukri.com's resume database.

The report further said that freshers' hiring grew 17% annually, while the demand for roles in the Rs 20 lakh-per-annum band rose 23%, reflecting strength across both entry-level and high-value talent segments.

Meanwhile, non-IT sectors continued to anchor the hiring momentum, with insurance leading at 28%, followed by BPO/ITES (22%), real estate (19%), hospitality/travel (15%) and retail (14%).

In February 2026, Indian MNCs expanded hiring by 24%.

In the IT sector, AI/ML roles sustained their strong trajectory, rising 49% year-on-year.

Indian MNCs grew their AI/ML hiring by 82%, compared to 43% for foreign MNCs, the report said, highlighting that domestic enterprises are placing their biggest bets in the adoption of the new technology.

IT hiring is recovering meaningfully, and Indian MNCs are investing in AI talent at a healthy pace. The underlying momentum heading into the new fiscal year looks genuinely solid, said Naukri Chief Business Officer Pawan Goyal.