“There is more and more demand for experienced people,” he said, stating that roles requiring over 16 years of experience are seeing double-digit growth, whereas fresher hiring declined by 4% in March. This trend has persisted for several quarters, making job searches more challenging for recent graduates.
The job market is also witnessing sectoral shifts. Travel, tourism, and hospitality, which saw strong hiring earlier, have now slowed, while the defense sector surged by 20%. Additionally, non-IT hiring continues to outpace IT, with smaller cities growing faster than metros.
Despite flat hiring growth in IT, concerns remain due to global economic factors, including tariff uncertainties. However, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) roles continue to see strong demand, registering high double-digit growth.
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Goyal also pointed out that Holi twisted March’s hiring index, making it appear flat. “If you adjust for the Holi impact, it would have been normally 6-8% up,” he said, suggesting that underlying hiring momentum remains positive.
In specific industries, retail hiring declined by 13%, but the consumer durables segment showed resilience, growing by 9%. Similarly, banking and financial services saw an overall 8% dip, yet fintech unicorns bucked the trend with a strong 36% hiring surge in March 2025.
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Beyond hiring trends, Info Edge India, the parent company of Naukri.com, has maintained strong market performance. The company’s market capitalisation stands at approximately ₹82,388 crore, with shares gaining nearly 13% over the past year. Info Edge operates several internet-based businesses, including Naukri.com, Jeevansathi.com, 99Acres.com, and Shiksha.com.
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