India’s job market is gearing up for a strong rebound in 2026, with companies planning significantly higher hiring compared to 2025. According to staffing firm TeamLease, Indian employers are expected to create 10–12 million new jobs in calendar year 2026, nearly 2 million more than the 8–10 million jobs added in 2025.
Campus Hiring and Diversity Take Centre Stage
Corporate India is stepping up recruitment with a renewed focus on campus hiring, workforce diversity, and future-ready skills. Leading organisations including EY India, Tata Motors, Diageo, Godrej Consumer Products, and Motilal Oswal Financial Services have confirmed aggressive hiring plans for the year ahead.
EY India Plans Up to 15,000 New Hires
Professional services major EY India plans to hire 14,000–15,000 employees in its fiscal year ending June 2026. Campus recruitment continues to be a core hiring pillar, with around 2,000 graduates hired annually from business schools, engineering colleges, law schools, and undergraduate institutions. EY India currently employs nearly 50,000 professionals.
Skill-Based Hiring Drives Demand
Companies are increasingly hiring for digital, AI, data science, engineering, and advanced technology roles.
- Diageo India will focus on digital skills, supply chain expertise, and category expansion, while also increasing female representation, which currently stands at 30% of its executive workforce.
- Tata Motors is aligning hiring with future mobility trends, including battery technology, software-defined vehicles, hydrogen fuel, R&D, engineering, and customer-facing roles.
- Motilal Oswal Financial Services plans hiring across businesses, particularly in technology, AI, data science, and support functions.
Diversity and Inclusion Remain a Priority
Beyond numbers, companies are also strengthening their commitment to inclusion.
- Godrej Consumer Products aims to increase representation of persons with disabilities, LGBTIQA+ professionals, and cis-women to 33% by FY27, up from 31% currently.
- Several organisations are also working towards building stronger female leadership pipelines.
What’s Driving the Hiring Surge?
According to TeamLease Digital, the hiring momentum is being fuelled by:
- Digital and tech transformation
- Growth in financial services, healthcare, and infrastructure
- Expansion of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) by MNCs
- Rising consumer demand beyond metro cities
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Upskilling to Support Long-Term Growth
Alongside fresh hiring, companies are continuing to invest heavily in upskilling and reskilling their existing workforce, ensuring talent remains aligned with evolving business needs.
Outlook for Job Seekers in 2026
With millions of new roles expected across industries, 2026 is shaping up to be a high-opportunity year for job seekers, especially fresh graduates, tech professionals, and candidates with future-focused skills.