Six in Ten Indian Employers Plan to Hire, E-Commerce and Travel Lead: Survey

Six out of ten Indian employers intend to expand their workforce in the coming months, according to a survey by staffing firm TeamLease Services, even as a large majority say economic conditions are shaping how they hire.

The company's employment outlook report places net employment change — its measure of the balance between employers planning to add staff and those planning to cut — at 5.4 per cent for the October 2026 to March 2027 period. That is up from 4.7 per cent six months earlier, and marks the third consecutive half-year of growth. The survey covered 1,239 employers across 23 industries and 20 cities.

About 16 per cent of those surveyed said they planned to reduce staff. The rest expected no change in their headcount.

Large enterprises reported the strongest hiring intent, at 66 per cent, with startups and small businesses close behind at 59 per cent.

Sector-wise picture

Hiring plans are not spread evenly across the economy. E-commerce and technology startups top the list with a projected net employment change of 12.6 per cent. Travel and hospitality follows at 12.3 per cent. Retail, automotive and the electric vehicle sector complete the top five.

At the other end, business process outsourcing and educational services are close to flat, with little expected change in staffing levels.

By job function, sales and marketing roles are in the highest demand, followed by IT and engineering. Blue-collar roles also drew solid interest, cited by 24 per cent of employers.

Bengaluru remains the most sought-after location, named by 68 per cent of employers as a target hiring market. Hyderabad and Pune follow at 61 per cent and 60 per cent, suggesting that established technology hubs continue to attract the bulk of new recruitment.

Skills in demand

Digital literacy tops the list of skills employers want, cited by 59 per cent, followed by communication and teamwork. Notably, soft skills such as adaptability and critical thinking rank above some hard technical skills, including data analysis and automation.

The state of AI adoption

About 85 per cent of employers say they are already using artificial intelligence or generative AI tools in some part of their operations. But only 13 per cent say they have scaled such tools across more than half their workforce.

The report describes this gap between experimentation and large-scale deployment as one of the more significant opportunities for employers in the year ahead. In effect, most firms are still testing AI rather than relying on it.

Labour codes add a cost concern

The report also flags pressure from the new labour codes. About 39 per cent of employers expect higher compliance and payroll administration costs, while 35 per cent anticipate a revision in basic pay and allowance structures. Some expect salary increments to slow as a result.

Economic conditions remain the single biggest factor influencing hiring decisions, cited by 80 per cent of employers for the second half of the financial year, up sharply from 67 per cent six months earlier.

How to read the findings

Employment outlook surveys capture employer intent at a point in time rather than confirmed job creation. Hiring plans can change if demand, costs or broader economic conditions shift. The findings are, however, consistent with a labour market that is expanding cautiously, with growth concentrated in a few consumer-facing and technology-driven sectors rather than across the board.

For job seekers, the survey points to digital skills, communication and adaptability as the qualities employers say they value most — and to e-commerce, travel and hospitality as the sectors most likely to be adding roles.