According to a report published on Wednesday, hiring activity in India grew 31% in December, led by consumer electronics, manufacturing, and construction & engineering sectors, according to Foundit Insights Tracker. The tracker of Foundit Insights found that over the last six months, hiring activity has increased by 12%, and it was recorded at 31% year-on-year recruitment in December.

Growth is recorded for most sectors such as consumer electronics by 60%, manufacturing by 57%, and construction & engineering by 57% year-on-year as per report.  In-demand skills include Python, AI/ML, data science, deep learning, SQL, and software development and specialized knowledge of AI frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch is also in great demand.

Foundit CEO V Suresh said, "With a projected 14 per cent 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."

AI skills are up 42% over the last two years, solidifying their place at the forefront of the economy. The health sector experienced 44% in hiring, motivated by growth within telemedicine, diagnostics, and specialized nursing opportunities. Health technology positions such as Healthcare Analyst have increased by 12% whereas HR/ Admin roles also had a 21% increase during the last quarter.

Hiring surged across all 13 monitored cities, with Coimbatore leading the way with 58% growth. Bengaluru and Chennai followed with increases of 41% and 37%, respectively. Tier II and III cities emerged as key healthcare hiring hubs, accounting for 30% of new roles. Bengaluru, Pune, and Delhi/NCR led AI hiring with shares of 26%, 17%, and 14%, respectively.