AI & ML hiring surges 54%, led by non-IT sectors

Hiring for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) professionals jumped 54% in August 2025, reflecting the growing demand for specialised technology talent, according to the latest Naukri JobSpeak report. The surge comes even as overall IT services hiring dipped by 6%, underscoring a shift in job market dynamics.

Interestingly, IT unicorns bucked the slowdown, recording a 10% increase in new hiring. However, traditional sectors such as banking and financial services (-11%), telecom/ISP (-13%), and automobile (-3%) reported muted activity. White-collar jobs requiring specialised skills saw a modest 3% year-on-year increase.

Driving overall momentum were the non-IT sectors. Insurance led the charge with a 24% rise in recruitment, followed by hospitality (22%) and real estate (18%). Other industries showing growth included BPO/ITES (17%), education (16%), oil & gas power (7%), retail (3%), and FMCG (2%). Fresher hiring (0–3 years’ experience) grew 7%, fuelled largely by non-IT industries such as hospitality, real estate, and education.

Among metros, there was a 10% overall rise in hiring and a sharp 45% increase in unicorn-related recruitment, emerging as a startup hiring hub ahead of other metros.

The August data signals a strong rebound for non-IT sectors in driving India’s employment trends while reaffirming the sustained demand for niche skills in AI and ML.