Hyd emerges as new AI hiring hotspot as India adds 2.9L jobs

Bengaluru: India’s AI-led hiring boom is no longer confined to Bengaluru, with Hyderabad clocking the fastest growth among Tier-1 cities in 2025 as over 2.9 lakh AI-linked jobs were added nationwide, signalling a structural shift in the job market, a report said on Tuesday.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerged as the defining hiring force in 2025 in India, with 290,256 AI-linked roles posted last year, a report showed on Tuesday. While Bengaluru retained the largest share of AI jobs at 26 per cent, Hyderabad recorded the fastest growth among Tier 1 cities, signalling a gradual redistribution of India’s tech workforce. Among Tier 2 cities, Jaipur, Indore, and Mysuru led the gains, highlighting the spread of high-value tech opportunities beyond traditional metros, reshaping career paths, driving demand for new skills, and pushing companies to rethink workforce strategies.

This momentum is set to accelerate further, with AI hiring projected to grow 32 per cent year-on-year in 2026 to nearly 3.8 lakh roles, said the report by foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME).

Hiring activity rose 5 per cent month-on-month and 15 per cent (on-year), signalling a clear shift from cautious recovery to measured expansion.

“2025 was both a year of expansion and discipline in hiring,” said Tarun Sharma, Chief Product and Technology officer, foundit.

AI is no longer experimental; it is central to workforce planning. In 2026, hiring will be increasingly skills-led, mid-career-focused, and spread across both Tier 1 and emerging Tier 2 talent hubs, he mentioned.

This convergence of core industries and AI adoption will continue to position India as a global talent powerhouse.

IT-Software and Services held the largest share of AI jobs at 37 per cent, followed by BFSI (15.8 per cent) and Manufacturing (6 per cent).