Fresher jobs in India are growing only 1% year-on-year, but pockets of the job market are hiring fast. Naukri JobSpeak, the monthly hiring index from Info Edge, put September 2026 at 3,053 against 3,002 a year earlier, a 2% rise in white-collar hiring. AI/ML roles jumped 20% and auto climbed 11%, while IT/software slipped 4% and education fell 18%. If you are graduating this year, the sector you target matters more than ever.
Key Facts Box
- Naukri JobSpeak Index for September 2026 stood at 3,053, up 2% from 3,002 in September 2025 (reported October 1-2, 2026).
- Fresher hiring grew just 1% year-on-year in September 2026.
- AI/ML roles grew 20% year-on-year, the strongest of the major tech categories.
- Auto and auto ancillary hiring rose 11%; BPO/ITES and Global Capability Centres (GCCs) each rose 4%.
- IT/software fell 4%, telecom 12%, hospitality 11% and education 18% year-on-year.
- GCC hiring grew 23% in Hyderabad, 13% in Chennai and 11% in Pune.
- Among cities, fresher hiring rose 20% in Coimbatore and 13% in Vadodara.
Are Fresher Jobs in India Growing in 2026?
Barely. Fresher hiring rose 1% year-on-year in September 2026, according to the Naukri JobSpeak data reported on October 1 and 2. The overall white-collar index grew 2%, so freshers are keeping pace with a slow market rather than leading it.
The headline hides a split. Experienced AI/ML professionals in the 13-16 year band saw postings rise 54%, and the 8-12 year band rose 28%, per the ETV Bharat report on the data. The mid-career 4-7 year band fell 2%. For a fresher, the lesson is that the market rewards specific, in-demand skills and punishes generic profiles.
Which Sectors Are Hiring Freshers Right Now?
The sectors with the strongest year-on-year growth in September 2026 are AI/ML, auto, BPO/ITES and GCCs. Each one has a different entry route.
AI/ML: up 20%
AI/ML postings grew 20% year-on-year, the biggest jump among the technology categories in the report. Most of the very high growth numbers sit in senior bands, so freshers should expect to compete on projects, not degrees. Build two or three working projects in Python, data handling and model basics, and put them on GitHub.
Auto and auto ancillary: up 11%
Auto hiring rose 11%, and the report shows it concentrated in southern hubs, with Hyderabad up 26%, Chennai up 19% and Bengaluru up 18%. Mechanical, electrical and electronics graduates, and diploma holders, should look at component makers and ancillary suppliers as well as the big carmakers.
BPO/ITES and GCCs: up 4%
Global Capability Centres are in-house offices that multinational companies run in India for finance, analytics, engineering and support work. GCC hiring grew 4% overall, and by 23% in Hyderabad, 13% in Chennai and 11% in Pune. Commerce, BBA and B.Tech graduates all have a way in, through analyst, operations and support roles.
Which Sectors Are Cutting Back?
IT/software, telecom, education, hospitality and several traditional sectors are shrinking. IT/software postings fell 4% year-on-year, which matters because IT is where most engineering freshers have historically looked first.
- Education: down 18%
- Telecom: down 12%
- Hospitality and travel: down 11%
- IT/software: down 4%
- Pharma/biotech: down 4%
- FMCG: down 4%
- Healthcare: down 3%
- Oil and gas: down 1%
Banking, financial services and real estate were flat. Insurance and retail grew 1% each. A decline in postings does not mean zero jobs. It means more applicants chasing each opening, so these sectors need a sharper application.
Where Are Fresher Jobs Growing by City?
Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune lead on GCC hiring, while smaller industrial cities lead on fresher growth. Coimbatore fresher hiring rose 20% and Vadodara rose 13% year-on-year in the September data.
That is useful if you are only searching Bengaluru and Mumbai. Coimbatore has a strong manufacturing and engineering base, and Vadodara has industrial and chemical employers. Apply beyond the metros and be open to relocating for the first job.
What Should Freshers Do With This Data?
Pick one growing sector, build one visible skill for it, and apply in at least three cities. A short plan by background:
- B.Tech CS/IT: do not rely on classic IT services alone. Add data, AI/ML or cloud skills, and look at GCCs in Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune.
- B.Tech Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics and diploma holders: target auto and auto ancillary employers, especially in the south.
- B.Com, BBA and MBA: look at GCC finance, analytics and operations roles, and BPO/ITES.
- Arts and science graduates: build a data or digital skill. BPO/ITES and GCC support roles are open to graduates from any stream.
- Education and hospitality graduates: expect slower hiring, so consider adjacent roles such as ed-tech operations or corporate training that use the same skills.
How Reliable Is This Data?
Naukri JobSpeak tracks job postings on one platform, so it shows employer demand, not total employment. Different media reports of the same release quote some city and sector figures differently, so this article uses numbers that appear consistently across reports. Check the Info Edge JobSpeak PDF directly for your own city and sector.
FAQs
Q. Is fresher hiring growing in India in 2026?
Ans. Slightly. Naukri JobSpeak shows fresher hiring up 1% year-on-year in September 2026, while overall white-collar hiring rose 2%.
Q. Which sector has the most jobs for freshers in India?
Ans. Naukri JobSpeak shows the fastest growth in AI/ML (up 20%), auto and auto ancillary (up 11%), and BPO/ITES and GCCs (up 4% each). IT/software fell 4%.
Q. Which city is best for fresher jobs in 2026?
Ans. Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune lead on GCC hiring growth at 23%, 13% and 11%. For freshers specifically, Coimbatore (up 20%) and Vadodara (up 13%) showed the biggest gains in September 2026.
Q. Are IT jobs for freshers declining in India?
Ans. IT/software postings fell 4% year-on-year in September 2026. Freshers can improve their odds by adding AI/ML, data or cloud skills and by applying to GCCs.
Q. What is a GCC and why does it matter for freshers?
Ans. A Global Capability Centre is an India-based unit that a multinational runs for its own finance, tech and support work. GCC hiring grew 4% overall in September 2026 and is one of the few steady entry points for graduates.
Conclusion / Next Steps
Fresher jobs in India are not collapsing, but they are shifting toward AI/ML, auto and GCC employers and away from education, telecom and traditional IT. Choose one growing sector, build one portfolio project for it, and apply in several cities this month. Check back here for updates when the October JobSpeak data comes out.
Sources: Naukri JobSpeak September 2026 (Info Edge PDF, infoedge.in); ETV Bharat, “AI/ML Hiring Jumps 20% As White-Collar Job Market Stays Steady In September” (October 2, 2026); Indian Television, “India white collar hiring grows 2 per cent in September 2026” (October 1, 2026).