AI job market booms with 42% growth over two years; overall hiring up by 31% (YoY) in December: foundit

India's hiring activity has surged by 12% over the past six months, with a 31% year-on-year (YoY) increase in recruitment in December, the latest data from jobs and talent platform, foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME) has found. The growth is reflected across 22 of the 27 sectors monitored, with Consumer Electronics, Manufacturing, and Construction & Engineering leading the charge with 60%, 57% and 57% YoY respectively.

In December 2024, job demand rose by 5% month-on-month (MoM), with the hiring index reaching 334.

“The growth in hiring activity across sectors underscores the resilience, adaptability, and dynamism of India’s job market,” said V Suresh, CEO of foundit in a statement. “What’s particularly exciting is the explosive growth in AI at 42% in just two years, showcasing the transformation of an important skillset to a core driver of the economy. With a projected 14% further growth in AI hiring in 2025, we are witnessing a paradigm shift where AI is no longer a futuristic concept, but a fundamental element of India's present and future workforce.”


Healthcare and HR sectors drive job growth surge
Medical roles experienced a 44% annual growth, fuelled by telemedicine, diagnostics, and specialised nursing, with health tech roles like Healthcare Analyst also seeing a 12% increase. Tier-2 and tier-3 cities emerged as healthcare hiring hubs, accounting for 30% of new roles. The increasing demand for professionals skilled in biotechnology, medical coding, telemedicine platforms and AI-driven healthcare solutions underscores the industry's rapid transformation.

Telecom has seen a 25% growth in the last three months; momentum expected to continue into 2025; BFSI has seen 30% growth over the last six months. Travel and tourism has experienced a 14% decline over the past six months.

Entry to Mid-Senior roles in high demand
Annual Hiring demand varies across experience levels, with entry-level roles (0-3 years) increasing by 18% and associate-level positions (4-6 years) up by 15%. Mid-senior roles (7-10 years) led with a 20% rise. Senior-level positions (11-15 years) grew by 5%, while executive roles (16+ years) declined by 6%.

In December, annual hiring surged across all 13 monitored cities. Coimbatore led with a 58% year-on-year growth, while Bengaluru and Chennai followed with increases of 41% and 37%, respectively. Mumbai topped month-over-month demand with an 11% rise, along with a 23% YoY increase. Delhi-NCR and Hyderabad also showed strong annual growth at 33% and 36%, respectively, though their monthly gains were modest.

Top AI hiring trends
AI jobs in India exploded by 42% over the past two years reaching 253,000 positions. Top skills include Python, AI/ML, Data Science, Deep Learning, SQL and Software Development. Additionally, expertise in specialised AI frameworks such as TensorFlow (15%) and PyTorch (16%) was highly sought after by employers.

Bengaluru, Pune, and Delhi/NCR led AI hiring by 26%, 17%, and 14% respectively. A further 14% growth in AI jobs is projected for 2025, driven by increasing AI adoption across BFSI, Healthcare, Retail, and Manufacturing.