August 2025 marked a major turning point for the Indian job market, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) roles seeing an extraordinary 54% surge in hiring, according to the latest Naukri JobSpeak report. While IT services hiring recorded a dip, non-IT industries like insurance, hospitality, and real estate became the unexpected drivers of this growth story.
The sharp rise in AI and ML roles highlights the growing appetite of businesses for specialized tech talent. Even as traditional IT and software services witnessed a 6% decline in overall hiring, companies continued to invest in advanced digital capabilities. Interestingly, IT unicorns stood out, recording a 10% increase in new hires—defying the broader IT slowdown.
Not all industries shared in the optimism. Banking and financial services posted an 11% decline, telecom/ISP shrank by 13%, and the auto sector slipped by 3%. These numbers reflect ongoing macroeconomic pressures in capital-heavy sectors.
On the other hand, non-IT sectors emerged as clear winners:
- Insurance: +24%
- Hospitality: +22%
- Real Estate: +18%
- BPO/ITES: +17%
- Education: +16%
- Oil & Gas/Power: +7%
- Retail: +3%
- FMCG: +2%
These industries are increasingly adopting AI/ML-powered solutions, from customer experience and fraud detection to automation and predictive analytics, fueling the demand for fresh talent.
The fresher segment (0–3 years’ experience) saw a 7% rise in hiring, with opportunities largely concentrated in non-IT industries such as hospitality, real estate, and education. This indicates a broader democratization of AI/ML roles, where entry-level professionals are finding opportunities beyond traditional tech companies.
The August 2025 hiring trends underscore two key takeaways:
- AI/ML skills are sector-agnostic. Companies across industries are integrating AI into their workflows, making tech talent indispensable even in traditionally non-tech sectors.
- The IT slowdown is not the full picture. While IT services hiring dipped, the surge in specialized roles proves that innovation-led hiring is still thriving.
With a 54% rise in demand for AI and ML roles, August 2025 highlights a clear shift in India’s job market. As industries beyond IT—insurance, hospitality, real estate—drive the momentum, the demand for specialized, future-ready talent is only expected to rise further. For job seekers and fresh graduates, this presents a timely opportunity to upskill in AI/ML and explore career paths far beyond the walls of IT services.