VISAKHAPATNAM: Visakhapatnam has retained the top position in LinkedIn’s annual ‘Cities on the Rise’ ranking for the second consecutive year, while Vijayawada featured at the 10th spot, slipping from the third position it held in the previous edition.
The ranking identifies emerging cities where job opportunities, hiring activity and talent migration are witnessing sustained growth.
Compiled by the LinkedIn News team in collaboration with the platform’s data scientists, the list is based on anonymised data from millions of LinkedIn member profiles and job postings between March 2024 and February 2026.
According to the report, Visakhapatnam’s rise is being driven by investments in digital infrastructure alongside its established industrial base.
The report cited Google’s proposed $15-billion AI hub, Reliance’s proposed Rs 1.6-lakh-crore data centre project, and the expansion of companies such as Infosys, Cognizant and Accenture as key factors contributing to employment growth.
The top hiring sectors in Visakhapatnam are IT Services and IT Consulting, Chemical Manufacturing, Technology, Information and Internet. Major employers include Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Laurus Labs Limited and Miracle Software Systems.
The report noted that 17.1% of job opportunities in the city were remote, while 5.2% were hybrid. Vijayawada, which ranked third last year, was placed 10th this year.
Real estate activity spurs growth in capital region
LinkedIn attributed the city’s inclusion to increasing investments across Andhra Pradesh, improved connectivity through planned infrastructure projects and growing interest from companies in the IT and e-governance sectors.
The report also noted that real estate activity linked to the Amaravati Outer Ring Road has supported commercial growth in the region.
IT Services and IT Consulting, Technology, Information and Internet, and Credit Intermediation emerged as the principal hiring sectors in Vijayawada, with HCLTech, Tata Consultancy Services and KL University among the leading employers.
The rankings were prepared by assessing year-on-year growth in hiring, job postings and net migration of professionals. Only cities with fewer than 2.5 million LinkedIn members and positive net talent inflows were considered, highlighting employment trends in urban centres.