Business news · AI & Tech · 03 Oct 2026
IN Information Technology Services
AI: Work and services · India AI — more AI news
The Naukri JobSpeak index rose to 3,053 in September from 3,002 a year earlier, a 2% increase in white-collar hiring. AI/ML roles grew 20% and the auto sector 11%; BPO/ITES and global capability centres grew 4% each. IT and software services hiring fell 4%, as did pharma and FMCG. Hyderabad led cities at 9%; Delhi-NCR and Mumbai fell 6%.
Wages are the largest cost line for Indian IT services companies, and hiring is an early reading of the demand they see. A 4% fall in IT services postings alongside 20% growth in AI/ML roles and 4% growth at global capability centres shows where the work is moving: toward specialised skills and toward clients' own captive centres, which compete with outsourcers for the same engineers. The report gives no rupee figures; it is a volume index of job postings.
Reported by Angel One — “India's White Collar Hiring Rise 2% in September as AI/ML Hiring Jumps 20%” ↗ on 03 Oct 2026.
NSE stocks, from the last close on or before 03 Oct 2026 to the close on 16 Oct 2026.
| Sector | Stocks | Median move | Up | vs all stocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Technology | 40 | +7.1% | 32 of 40 | +7.4 pts |
| Services | 30 | +0.2% | 17 of 30 | +0.5 pts |
| All tracked stocks | 804 | -0.3% | 383 of 804 | — |
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