Bengaluru: Unicorns or most successful start-ups have reported a 25% surge in hiring in January 2025 with Hyderabad leading at 74% growth, followed by Chennai at 60%. Unicorns are privately-owned start-ups that have a valuation of over $1 billion.
The Naukri JobSpeak Index for January 2025 points out that the trend spans multiple sectors, with Banking and Financial Services unicorns showing 35% growth, and IT and Internet/Ecommerce unicorns grew by 16% and 18%, respectively.
The report says there has been 4% growth in white collar hiring in January, mostly driven by traditional sectors.
While IT hiring remained flattish overall, emerging tech hubs such as Jaipur witnessed 38% growth in technology hiring.
Fresher hiring saw 3% growth last month, mainly boosted by non-IT sectors. The beauty and wellness sector recorded 21% growth in fresher hiring, while KPO/Research/Analytics and Hospitality posted growth rates of 26% and 18%, respectively in entry-level positions.
Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer, Naukri said, “In 2024, January had greeted us with a disappointing 11% de-growth in hiring. In contrast, 2025 seems to have started on a positive note. The 4% hiring growth is tempered as IT recovery settles in; however, strong growth in most core sectors including FMCG, Pharma, Insurance and Hospitality is a good sign and augurs well for a cracking 2025 in terms of white collar hiring.”
The Aviation and Aerospace industry recorded a 33% year-on-year growth, with Delhi NCR witnessing a 77% surge in hiring. The sector's growth is strategically focused on building mid-level expertise, with a 22% increase in hiring for professionals with 4-7 years of experience.
After a prolonged negative trend, the retail sector posted an overall flattish growth of 1% in January 2025, the report said. This revival is particularly evident in key markets like Bengaluru and Delhi NCR, which saw 7% and 4% growth respectively, with a focus on strengthening mid-level management capabilities.