White-collar jobs in India jumped 13% in December: Naukri
India's white-collar hiring rose 12% year-on-year in February 2026, thanks mostly to non-tech sectors.
The Naukri JobSpeak Index was 3,233 in February 2026, and February 2026 showed a notably sharp month-on-month jump.
AI/ML roles exploded by 53%
Hospitality, insurance, real estate, and BPO/ITES led the way with up to 34% more hires.
AI/ML roles exploded by 53%, and high-paying jobs (over ₹20 lakh/year) grew by 27%.
Freshers saw more openings too—especially in hospitality and insurance—making it a good time for new grads.
Unicorn startups boosted their hiring by 21%
Smaller cities like Kochi, Coimbatore, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad are now fresher hotspots. Jaipur stood out for BPO/ITES jobs while Hyderabad led in insurance hires.
Unicorn startups boosted their hiring by 21%, with Chennai seeing the biggest jump.
'Steady growth in non-tech sectors'
According to Dr. Pawan Goyal from Naukri, the data show "consistent strength in non-tech sectors" and are "opening up more entry-level opportunities."
With more entry-level roles opening up across industries and locations, this could give freshers a broader set of options as we move through 2026.