A strong 79 per cent of Indian HR leaders expect their organisations to create entirely new roles — not merely backfill existing ones — in the July–December 2025 period, according to a report released on Tuesday, 25 August by jobs platform Naukri. Overall hiring intent is even broader, with 97 per cent of HR leaders anticipating continued recruitment activity through the second half of the year.

Sector-wise Hiring Optimism

Real estate leads the optimism chart, with 86 per cent of its HR leaders forecasting new-role creation, followed closely by FMCG at 85 per cent and IT/Tech at 83 per cent. In manufacturing and healthcare, 79 per cent of HR leaders predict fresh job creation, while BFSI (Banking, Financial Services and Insurance) holds at 72 per cent.

This broad-based optimism cuts across sectors that have historically moved in opposite directions during economic uncertainty, suggesting a structural — rather than cyclical — shift in hiring intent.

AI: Job Creator, Not Job Destroyer

Contrary to widespread concern about artificial intelligence displacing workers, the report finds that 86 per cent of HR leaders expect no significant job losses attributable to AI over the next six months. More than 20 per cent of HR leaders in IT and BFSI specifically expect AI to generate new roles in this period.

Hitesh Oberoi, Managing Director and CEO of Info Edge, the parent company of Naukri, said: 'Notably, employers see AI opening up new roles across many sectors — particularly in IT, Marketing, and Analytics domains. The message is clear: new roles are emerging.'

As AI reshapes job functions, matching talent skills with evolving role requirements has emerged as the single biggest hiring priority for HR leaders across sectors.

Most In-Demand Roles and Entry-Level Trends

Business development tops the list of high-recruitment functions, with 45 per cent of HR leaders predicting the highest intake here. Marketing follows at 37 per cent, and IT roles at 31 per cent. Sector-specific patterns are clear: BFSI draws heavily on core finance talent, FMCG and manufacturing concentrate on operations, and IT remains focused on tech-driven profiles.

At the entry level (0–3 years' experience), BFSI leads with 83 per cent of HR leaders expecting fresh intake, followed by healthcare at 61 per cent and IT at 60 per cent. Talent shortage is the dominant hiring challenge in healthcare, cited by 39 per cent of its HR leaders as their primary concern.

Salary Increment Outlook

On compensation, 58 per cent of HR leaders expect average increments to remain below 10 per cent in the next cycle, while 28 per cent foresee hikes in the 10–15 per cent range. Optimism about double-digit salary increases is highest in IT (50 per cent), followed by manufacturing (44 per cent) and real estate (41 per cent).

With hiring intent this broad and AI increasingly viewed as a role creator rather than a role eliminator, the second half of 2025 could mark a meaningful inflection point for India's formal employment market — provided talent pipelines keep pace with demand.