India’s 2024–2025 Hiring Shifts — AI/Tech Momentum, Healthcare Strength, And Hospitality’s Comeback

As we continue our regional series on job market shifts, we now focus on India’s evolving employment landscape.

India’s job market is evolving fast, with growth concentrated in high-skill roles and sector pockets rather than a uniform boom. The most actionable picture comes from white-collar hiring signals, sector growth rates, and tourism-driven employment momentum.

The headline: white-collar hiring ended 2024 stronger

Naukri’s JobSpeak Index reported that it closed 2024 on a high note, reaching 2,651 points in December 2024, reflecting 9% year-on-year growth. Info Edge

That growth wasn’t evenly distributed—it was driven by specific sectors and role types.

Tech (and AI): not just hiring—redefining job descriptions

In the same JobSpeak report, AI/ML hiring was up 36% year-on-year (December 2024 vs December 2023). Info Edge This is the clearest sign that “tech hiring” in India is becoming more AI-shaped: AI engineering, data roles, MLOps, automation, analytics, and product roles that operationalize AI in real workflows.

Regional layer:

1. Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, NCR remain core, but tier-2/3 cities are increasingly in the mix for certain roles (especially operations + tech hybrids).
2. Global Capability Centers (GCCs) continue to influence demand for specialized talent.

Job seeker impact:

1. Recruiters increasingly screen for hands-on toolchains (cloud + data + AI) rather than generic “software engineer” profiles.
2. “Proof of work” (projects, internships, freelancing, open-source) can unlock interviews faster than pedigree alone.

Internal reads that fit India’s shift:

1. Top AI skills employers are looking for
2. Adapting to AI: white-collar jobs at risk and how to thrive

Healthcare: steady growth with broad role variety

Naukri’s report also showed healthcare hiring up 12% year-on-year (December 2024 vs December 2023). Info Edge Beyond clinical roles, India’s healthcare demand includes hospital operations, diagnostics, pharma support, medical sales, health IT, and admin.

Job seeker impact:

Healthcare offers stability—but job seekers need clarity on employer type (hospital chain vs pharma vs health tech) because hiring filters differ widely.

Hospitality: recovery plus structured hiring plans

Hospitality shows mixed signals depending on the slice you look at, but directionally it’s positive. Naukri’s sector snapshot shows Hospitality/Travel hiring up 7% year-on-year in December 2024. Info Edge And employers are explicitly planning headcount: a TeamLease report projected a Net Employment Change of 8.2% for travel and hospitality in HY2 FY2024–25, with 66% of surveyed companies planning to expand their workforce. ETHospitalityWorld.com

Tourism’s economic engine strengthens hospitality and services

WTTC projected that India’s travel & tourism sector would contribute almost INR 21.15 trillion to the economy in 2024 and that jobs were predicted to increase by 2.45 million, roughly one in 11 jobs. wttc.org WTTC also reported that international visitor spend reached INR 3.1 trillion in 2024, a record level. wttc.org

How job seekers should adapt in India (practical recommendations)

1. Search by skill cluster, not only title. Example: Python + SQL + AWS opens more doors than “data analyst” alone.
2. Aim for AI-adjacent roles even if you’re not “AI.” Ops, QA, support, HR analytics, marketing analytics—AI touches everything now.
3. Use city + sector keywording.
4. Short-tail: jobs in India, IT jobs, healthcare jobs, hospitality jobs
5. Long-tail: AI job search platform for jobs in India, Bangalore AI engineer jobs entry level, Hyderabad healthcare analytics jobs
6. Get ATS-ready and outcome-driven. (India’s screening is increasingly ATS + structured.) Use the resume guide above.
7. Use a job search engine that reduces noise. With JobsChat.ai, you can search by skill match, filter faster, and focus on roles that fit your profile.