India Talent Insights Report 2024 Ed1
India Talent Insights Report 2024 Ed1
talent insights
       industry focus: BFSI                                           09   industry focus: pharma, healthcare & life-sciences (PHL)                   42
       • city-wise jobs distribution in BFSI                          10   • city-wise jobs distribution in PHL                                       43
       • key talent trends across BFSI skills                         16   • key talent trends across PHL skills                                      49
       • future landscape of BFSI talent                              19   • future landscape of PHL talent                                           52
       industry focus: manufacturing & automotive                     20   industry focus: retail, FMCG & FMCD                                        53
       • city-wise jobs distribution in manufacturing & automotive    21   • city-wise jobs distribution in retail, FMCG & FMCD                       54
       • key talent trends across manufacturing & automotive skills   27   • key talent trends across retail, FMCG & FMCD skills                      60
       • future landscape of manufacturing & automotive talent        30   • future landscape of retail, FMCG & FMCD talent                           63
India's increasing economic diversity and the positive role of government policy has enabled
the country to demonstrate resilience despite many headwinds. Its production-linked
incentive (PLI) schemes across sectors have motivated a surge, both in international
partnerships and domestic entrepreneurship. And the government’s commitment to improve
the ease of doing business has been acknowledged in terms of significant inflow of foreign
investments.
Most important, the seriousness with which the government has catalyzed skilling among the
country’s youth and improving its employability gives tremendous hope that the
demographic dividend will be leveraged for the country’s economic rise.
Looking ahead, it is an exciting meeting point of talent and opportunity. The 2024 India talent
insights report (drawn on Randstad data over a six-month period of September 2023 to
February 2024) analyzes talent trends across a comprehensive range of locations, experience
levels and skills. In this edition, we have focused on six key industries spread over 8 Tier-1
cities and 21 Tier-2 cities across India — Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI),
Manufacturing & Automotive, Information Technology (IT), Pharma, Healthcare & Life
sciences (PHL), retail, FMCG & FMCD, and energy & utilities.
     While Bengaluru                                      Hiring at the junior                             The role of customer                                     The demand for
 dominates the demand                                      level is uniformly                             service representative                                 production managers
charts across industries                                  high across all six                              features impressively                                 in the manufacturing
   among tier-1 cities,                                   industries in tier-1                            among the Top 15 skills                                 & automotive sector
Mumbai (BFSI, energy &                                      and tier-2 cities.                             in demand across all                                    outpaces all other
   utilities), Delhi-NCR                                                                                     levels in the BFSI                                    skills at all levels.
 (retail, FMCG & FMCD,                                                                                            sector.
   BFSI) and Chennai
    (manufacturing &
    automotive) have
impressively risen in the
         charts too.
 R&D professionals and                                     Hiring of salesforce                           The roles of the drug                                    Technical engineers
 process engineers rank                                    developers rise to                              analyst, formulation                                     outrank the hiring
within the Top 10 in hiring                                the top position at                                 scientist, and                                     demand in the energy
     demand for the                                           the junior and                                  bioinformatics                                         & utilities sector
    manufacturing &                                         senior level hiring                           professional enter the                                    across all levels in
   automotive industry                                             in IT.                                 skills demand list this                                 tier-1 and tier-2 cities.
     across all levels.                                                                                       year in the PHL
                                                                                                                  industry.
                                                                                                      21 tier-2 cities
This edition of the Randstad India Talent Insights Report 2024 dives into the         locations
hiring trends of six industries in India — BFSI; manufacturing & automotive;
IT; PHL; retail, FMCG & FMCD; and energy & utilities. It explores and unfolds
insights on both current and emerging talent developments and                                         BFSI
requirements in these industries, which we hope, will enable organizations,
employees and job seekers to be future-ready by leveraging present trends                             manufacturing & automotive
and extrapolated opportunities.                                                                       IT
Employers across the six industries will find this report a valuable pointer to                       PHL
                                                                                    6 key sectors
how they can align their talent acquisition and retention strategies to where                         retail, FMCG & FMCD
the demand actually lies for hot skills across different experience levels.
                                                                                                      energy & utilities
Talent community can leverage the report’s specific insights to discover and
understand the location, skill and experience hotspots —and be prepared to
take advantage of trending opportunities with the right motivation to re-skill
and upskill themselves.                                                                               junior (0-5 years)
A wide range of data has been collated, crunched, analyzed and curated in                             middle (6-14 years)
the Randstad India Talent Insights Report 2024. We are optimistic that this       experience levels   senior (>=15 years)
will help all stakeholders make data-driven decisions to make the best
possible choices of locations of ‘in-demand’ jobs, and skills across
experience levels.
1
    https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/finance/fy24-gdp-growth-at-8-2-pc-great-news-for-india-panagariya/articleshow/110600169.cms?from=mdr
2
    https://www.india-briefing.com/news/indias-economy-in-2023-a-year-end-review-30561.html/
3
    https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/fresher/indias-employable-youth-up-from-33-9-in-2014-to-51-3-in-2024-dea/articleshow/107233514.cms?from=mdr#
4
    https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/indian-companies-report-strongest-hiring-outlook-for-jun-quarter-2024-globally-report/article67942500.ece#:~:text=At%2036%20per%20cent%2C%20India,Romania%20(%2D%202%20per%20cent).
5
    https://www.forbesindia.com/article/explainers/fdi-in-india-inflows/89609/1
6
    https://inc42.com/features/whats-next-for-indias-unicorn-club-in-2024/#:~:text=India%20is%20now%20home%20to,based%20on%20adjustments%20from%20investors.
7
    https://inc42.com/buzz/economic-survey-2022-23-india-reduced-39000-compliances-ease-of-doing-business/
8
    https://hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/workplace-4-0/recruitment/has-fresher-hiring-shifted-to-gccs-from-other-mncs/108087344
Technology and digital leads India’s growth in the BFSI sector, and it is
well- positioned to become one of the largest digital markets. It boasts
of more than 2100 fintechs11, and significant cross-utilization of
channels to expand the reach of financial services. Besides, National
Stock Exchange of India (NSE) report shows that, in 2023, there was a
52% growth in the retail investor base from tier-2 and tier-3 cities12.
9
     https://bfsi.economictimes.indiatimes.com/blog/resurgence-and-challenges-indian-banks-2024-outlook/106817271
10
     https://www.financialexpress.com/market/cafeinvest-the-rise-of-a-new-financial-frontier-tier-2-amp-3-markets-boom-in-india-3426306/#
11
     https://www.ibef.org/industry/financial-services-india
12
     https://www.financialexpress.com/market/cafeinvest-the-rise-of-a-new-financial-frontier-tier-2-amp-3-markets-boom-in-india-3426306/#
13
     https://www.commercialdesignindia.com /insights/mumbai-emerges-as-the-ideal-fintech-hub-heres-why#:~:text=Mumbai%20is%20the%20headquarters%20for,several%20other%20prestigious%20government%20organisations.
14
     https://kpmg.com/uk/en/home/insights/2020/03/future-of-finance-centres-in-india.html
15
     https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/indian-fintech-funding-slumps-nearly-two-third-in-2023-will-india-emerge-as-global-fintech-powerhouse-11704444297387.html
ahmedabad 3.11
                                                                                                                                     12
tier-2 cities
Jaipur maintains its clean sweep as the leader across all levels — junior   Hubs of India’, placed Indore in the list of emerging hubs of future financial
(16.31%), middle (20.70%) and senior (11.67%).                              technology and business process excellence. With banks and financial
From digital payments to lending, wealth management, and                    institutions rapidly adopting technology innovation, and with fintechs
cryptocurrencies, fintech companies in Jaipur are transforming the          surging in importance, we see the demand for finance technology
world of finance. Backed by its strong economic growth, reputed             professionals in this city.
educational institutions, and abundant source of talent, Jaipur’s BFSI      New tier-2 entrants Ludhiana and Surat rank impressively among the Top 10
industry’s talent demand is not only strong for today, but is also set to   in hiring demand across junior, middle and senior levels.
thrive further in the years to come.
                                                                            As Punjab's largest city and as one of India’s smart cities, Ludhiana is striding
Thane maintains its second position at the middle level (13.87%) and        ahead, beyond its dominance in manufacturing and textiles to the financial
senior level hiring (8.83%), and comes third in the junior level (7.38%).   services sector.
Thane has established itself as a dynamic urban hub and an attractive       Renowned as the diamond capital of India and another smart city, Surat is
option for investors. As a strategic location in the Mumbai Metropolitan    evolving into an attractive business and financial hub. A host of banks and
Region, and with its additional proximity to Pune, Thane has grown to       insurance companies offer a wide array of financial products and services,
be a rising power in the financial services and IT industries — offering    and this has led to the healthy demand for talent in these two cities.
diverse financial products and services, including banking services,
                                                                            Kochi has surged ahead and ranks third (from sixth the previous year) in the
loans, insurance, investments, and wealth management. And that is
                                                                            middle level hiring demand (9.77%) while it continues to be positioned in the
why we see a healthy demand for finance professionals at all levels in
                                                                            Top 10 at other levels.
this tier-2 city.
                                                                            As a major financial hub of Kerala, Kochi is home to several banks, insurance
Indore ranks second in junior level hiring demand (9.63%), a close third    companies, investment firms, and stockbrokers. Its strategic location and
in the senior level (7.92%), and fourth in the middle level (8.20%).        rising economic stature make Kochi an attractive destination for financial
As the commercial capital of central India, Indore has rapidly advanced     services companies to expand their operations, and hence the greater need
to be a force in the financial technology space. In fact, NASSCOM’s         for reasonably experienced middle level managers.
and Deloitte’s joint report in August 2023 titled ‘Emerging Technology
Chandigarh and Coimbatore almost tie with each other for the
fourth and fifth positions, respectively, in senior level hiring
(7.58% and 7.33% respectively). At the junior and middle levels,
they feature among the top 10 in hiring demand.
Chandigarh has seen a rapid surge in the establishment of a
number of foreign accounting companies — making it a finance
and accounting hub. This has created significant employment
opportunities.
Coimbatore’s expansion of infrastructure and connectivity
enhancements, and creation of dynamic ecosystem for startups,
have attracted both domestic and international investors. As a
major banking outlet, Coimbatore offers a large market for
fintech firms — and consequently for hiring of talent.
16
     https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/digital-india/yogi-govt-set-to-build-indias-largest-it-hub-in-lucknow/102711790
                                                                                          jaipur                       11.67
tier-2 cities                                               Middle level (6-14 years)     thane                        8.83
surat                                      5.84
                                                   coimbatore                     3.52
coimbatore                                 5.16
                                                   bhopal                          3.13
ludhiana                                   4.51
bhopal 3.99
                                                                                                                                          15
key talent trends across BFSI skills.
There is an interesting and significant increase in       The role of a business operations specialist in
the average junior level hiring in tier-1 cities over     financial services encompasses execution of day
last year (73.31% vs 46.77%).                             to day tasks related to efficiency, productivity,
                                                          and customer experience at the junior level, to
With a strong presence of management institutes,
                                                          re-imagining business strategy to improve
and certification in specialized finance courses in
                                                          business processes and managing risk at the
tier-1 cities, banks find a good supply of qualified
                                                          senior level. This explains the demand at all levels
junior level candidates to train and grow them for
                                                          across both tier-1 and tier-2 cities — and also
their specific needs.
                                                          offers an attractive career progression
In tier-2 cities, while the average junior level hiring   opportunity.
was comparable to the previous year (79.13% vs
                                                          Investment banking comes second in the demand
82.02%), there was a perceptible upward shift in
                                                          for BFSI skills across all three levels of junior
the average senior level hiring (14.63% vs 8.08%).
                                                          (12.13%), middle (16.17%), and senior (11.21%).
There has been an exponential increase in financial
                                                          As the specialist skill to raise money for individual
inclusion at the tier-2 and 3 cities level. This has
                                                          investors, large corporations and governments,
fueled a tremendous demand for sophisticated
                                                          investment bankers are in demand at all levels.
financial services in these regions — especially
                                                          Especially at the senior levels, the demand for
with digital platforms opening up access in a big
                                                          investment bankers is the highest in Mumbai,
way. This explains the rise in senior level hiring in
                                                          Pune, Kolkata and Bengaluru, the most mature
tier-2 cities.
                                                          BFSI locations among tier-1 cities.
Demand for business operations professionals
tower strongly above other skills at all levels —
junior (27.82%), middle (21.33%), and senior
(30.87%).
customer service
representative                             2.95
                                                                                                                                      18
the future talent landscape for BFSI.
On the back of surging growth in the past few                 by 2025. Digital banking and neobanks will
years, the Indian BFSI sector is preparing for                increasingly turn to AI-led innovations, and
dynamic transformation in 2024, driven by                     embedded finance will gather momentum. The
technology and domain expertise.                              evolving fintech and regulatory landscape will
                                                              usher the regtech segment in a bigger way. This
It is projected that India will have 16.57 lakh high
                                                              calls for a talent powerhouse of domain and
net worth individuals (HNWI) by 2028, making it
                                                              technology specialists, strategic business
the fourth-largest private wealth market
                                                              managers, and niche professionals that have
globally17. This opens tremendous opportunities
                                                              emerged in our findings.
for the private wealth management players, and
infusion of specialized talent in this segment.               There is thus a compelling need for BFSI
The focus on new business and wealth creation                 organizations to be future-relevant through
offers newer and exciting opportunities for                   focused talent development initiatives in hiring,
specialists in this area. It also provides reskilling         reskilling and upskilling in the areas of
and growth paths for business operations                      investment banking, digital operations, data
professionals to rise to customer-centric roles               analytics, generative AI, cybersecurity,
with a sales mindset.                                         customer experience technologies, and more.
Innovation and technology will be the signatures              That is a vast and promising canvas for talent
of the Indian financial landscape in the near                 development in the BFSI industry.
future. With an 87% fintech adoption rate, digital
payments in India is poised to touch greater
heights. In its report, ‘Payments Vision 2025’, RBI
talks about tripling digital payment transactions
17
     https://www.ibef.org/industry/financial-services-india
18
     https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/manufacturing-sector-expected-to-reach-1-trn-by-2025-26-led-by-gujarat-123121300914_1.html
19
     https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2023/feb/doc2023217160601.pdf
20
     https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/manufacturing-sector-expected-to-reach-1-trn-by-2025-26-led-by-gujarat-123121300914_1.html
21
     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_industry_in_India
22
     http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/106828073.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
23
     https://www.midcindia.org/focus-sectors/automobiles/
24
     https://www.investindia.gov.in/great-places-for-manufacturing-in-india#:~:text=Tamil%20Nadu%20is%20the%20state,commercial%20center%20of%20South%20India.
25
     https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/maharashtra-among-states-with-most-comprehensive-ev-policies-in-india-study/articleshow/97995108.cms
chennai 22.16
                                                                                      delhi-ncr                 19.05
                                                                                                                         Chennai
                                                   bengaluru          32.19
      Junior level (0-5 years)                                                                                           shows a
                                                   chennai            14.79           hyderabad                 12.34    significant
bengaluru                                  25.30                                                                         rise in
                                                   pune               14.26           pune                      11.03
                                                                                                                         rankings
delhi-ncr                                  18.10
                                                   delhi-ncr          13.92           mumbai                    6.82     across all
chennai                                    16.05                                                                         levels
                                                   hyderabad          10.06           kolkata                   4.69
pune                                       14.06
                                                   mumbai              9.97           ahmedabad                  1.80
mumbai                                     10.57
                                                   kolkata             3.08
hyderabad                                  9.03
                                                   ahmedabad           1.74
kolkata                                     4.33
ahmedabad 2.58
                                                                                                                                 23
tier-2 cities
Jaipur makes an impressive leap to the first place in junior (15.00%)         Coimbatore is placed second in junior level hiring demand (12.40%), and
and senior level hiring (27.42%). In the middle level, it stands fourth       third in the middle level (12.46%).
(10.92%).
                                                                              Traditionally strong in textiles and textile machinery, motors and pumps, and
Jaipur’s efforts to build its manufacturing industry has paid rich            engineering products, Coimbatore has moved strategically to defence
dividends in the fields of minerals, petrochemicals, textiles, automotive     manufacturing and clean energy, thanks to the government’s Atmanirbhar
and electronics. The inauguration of Tata Motor's vehicle scrapping           Bharat initiatives. Its Special Economic Zones (SEZ) are now attracting a host
facility in Jaipur in early 2023 could well pave the way for India to         of manufacturers of automobile, and heavy equipment components, EVs,
become a scrapping hub for the whole of South East Asia.                      electrical and electronic spares, Chips, LEDs, generators, semiconductors,
Into the future, the state industries department’s efforts to develop a       valves and more. Its efforts to expand its infrastructure have attracted
solar module and cell manufacturing hub could generate large-scale            domestic and international investors, and this has had a positive impact on
employment and economic opportunities.                                        job creation.
                                                                              Additionally, it has built a dynamic startup ecosystem of incubators,
Vadodara ranks first in the middle level hiring segment (21.16%), second in
                                                                              accelerators, and business-academia collaboration to nurture a culture of
senior level hiring (20.16%) and third in junior level demand (11.51%).
                                                                              innovation and entrepreneurship.
Vadodara’s strength in the manufacturing & automotive strength lies in
its power transmission and distribution equipment manufacturing,              Thane ranks second in middle level hiring demand (15.17%), fourth in junior level
besides significant presence in the chemicals, pharmaceuticals,               (9.31%) and a very close fifth in senior level (6.05%).
engineering and automobile sectors. The German industrial leader
                                                                              Thane has consistently grown as an industrial hub, and is the third most
Schaeffler’s new manufacturing unit, inaugurated in June 2023, is
                                                                              industrialized city in Maharashtra. It has more than 18000 industries, and is a
expected to cater to the growing demand in the wind, heavy
                                                                              hotspot for employment.
industries, and railway sectors — and generate employment
opportunities.
Vadodara’s excellent infrastructure and talent availability from reputed
educational institutions makes it a favorite with organizations — which,
in turn, creates demand for talent.
Ludhiana and Surat are new entrants to tier-2 cities rank impressively
among the Top 10 in hiring demand across junior, middle and senior
levels.
Ludhiana, ranked tenth in middle level hiring, ties for the fifth spot in
senior level hiring.
Surat, which has expanded its manufacturing capabilities to new areas
like petrochemicals, steel and pharmaceuticals, stands within the Top
15 across all levels.
Both the cities thus show a promising demand for core skills in the
areas of production, quality, supply chain and logistics.
Nashik, Chandigarh, Kochi, Lucknow and Goa are among the Top 10
tier-2 locations in different levels of hiring, and we will see more of
them in the years to come.
                                                                                                                        26
key talent trends across manufacturing
& automotive skills.
There is a big increase in the average junior level       Supply chain/logistics professionals come second
hiring in tier-1 cities over last year.                   in the demand for skills in the manufacturing and
                                                          automotive sector across the junior (17.94%) and
With a tremendous number of engineering
                                                          middle level hiring (14.71%). In the senior level, it
institutions in tier-1 cities, plus the fact that skill
                                                          comes fourth (11.63%).
gap is compelling, manufacturing and automotive
companies have gone on the path of reskilling and         Coordination and management of the flow of
upskilling. We thus see more professionals hired at       goods and services from the beginning of the
the junior level and trained for specific industry        production process through delivery to the
requirements.                                             consumer (involving procurement, production,
                                                          storing, maintenance and distribution) is
The demand for production managers ranks way              absolutely critical in the manufacturing &
above other skills at all levels — junior (26.13%),       automotive industry.
middle (34.75%), and senior (29.55%).
                                                          All tier-1 cities show a strong demand for supply
Responsible for ensuring that production is               chain/logistics professionals. Jaipur, Coimbatore,
time-bound, within budget and of the highest              Chandigarh, Mohali and Indore, among tier-2
quality, the production manager is critical for           cities, have a healthy demand for supply chain
manufacturing and automotive companies. Across            and logistics professionals.
tier-1 and tier-2 cities where there is a strong
manufacturing and automotive presence, this
ranks as the #1 skill in demand.
                                                   r&d                                1.12
automation engineer                         1.85
                                                                                                                                                  29
the future talent landscape for
manufacturing & automotive.
The targets for the manufacturing & automotive industry are exciting                                                To overcome the challenge of skill shortage, the manufacturing
and ambitious26, such as                                                                                            industry will need to strategically partner with educational
• A 15% year-on-year increase in hiring in 2024, over the current 35.6                                              institutions — and play an active role in developing an
  million people employed                                                                                           industry-relevant curriculum with hands-on experience through
• Increase the GDP share to 21% in the next six to seven years                                                      internships and sponsoring of research projects. This will enhance
• Touch USD 1 trillion in export of goods by 2030                                                                   the employability of juniors entering the workforce, chart the course
• Double the auto industry size to INR 15 lakh crores by end of 202427                                              of a satisfying career in manufacturing — while enabling the industry
                                                                                                                    to achieve its goals.
As the world's fourth largest, the Indian automotive industry is
expected to be worth USD 1 trillion by 203528— including USD                                                        Amidst this landscape, there is a silver lining that is heartening to
400-billion-plus from design, development and other technology                                                      note. Hiring intent has surged from 25% in 2022-23 to 35% in 2023-24
areas. Plus, Industry 4.0 has driven a transformative shift in the                                                  — with the automotive industry alone showing a 20% surge in hiring
manufacturing and automotive industry, which in turn, has created an                                                intent in anticipation of increased demand. This is indicative of the
unprecedented demand for professionals proficient in artificial                                                     confidence and resilience of the Indian manufacturing industry as it
intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and industrial automation.                                                strides forward to an era of growth. We are confident that the talent
                                                                                                                    insights in this report will provide the right fillip.
Research and development is another area that offers promising
opportunities — especially with India’s strength in setting up global
capability centers (GCC). We expect that research-driven
professionals will be in high demand in the next few years.
26
     https://taggd.in/blogs/crafting-the-workforce-of-tomorrow-manufacturing-hiring-trends-unveiled-for-2024/
27
     https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2023/feb/doc2023217160601.pdf
28
     https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/auto/auto-news/indias-automotive-industry-to-be-worth-1-trillion-by-2035-report/articleshow/104168476.cms?from=mdr
29
     https://taggd.in/blogs/crafting-the-workforce-of-tomorrow-manufacturing-hiring-trends-unveiled-for-2024/
30
     https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/hr-policies-trends/hiring-activity-set-to-gain-pace-in-2024-taggd-india-report/articleshow/106113852.cms?from=mdr
31
     https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/tech-industry-revenue-to-touch-254-billion-this-fiscal-nasscom/articleshow/107754547.cms?from=mdr
32
     https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/tech-industry-revenue-to-touch-254-billion-this-fiscal-nasscom/articleshow/107754547.cms?from=mdr
33
     https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-tech-sector-growth-rate-seen-halving-38-fy24-nasscom-2024-02-16/
34
     https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/tier-2-and-3-cities-emerge-as-talent-hubs-nasscom-report/article67248724.ece
35
     https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/indian-it-industry-expected-to-grow-to-350-bn-by-2030-to-double-employment/article67587567.ece
36
     https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/consolidate-bengaluru-s-position-as-an-epicentre-of-global-innovation-2702127
37
     http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/105609980.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
38
     http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/105609980.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
39
     https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/hyderabad/telangana-it-exports-hyderabad-ktr-8647122/
40
     https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/from-brain-drain-to-gain-how-hi-tech-hyderabad-has-now-become-talent-attractor/articleshow/103052291.cms?from=mdr
41
     https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/from-brain-drain-to-gain-how-hi-tech-hyderabad-has-now-become-talent-attractor/articleshow/103052291.cms?from=mdr
Pune ranks fourth in the middle (10.70%) and senior level hiring
(13.67%) — and fifth in the junior level (10.14%).
Pune’s dedicated IT parks and zones (Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park,
Baner, EON Free Zone, and Magarpatta City) offer state-of-the-art
infrastructure tailored for the needs of IT/ITES companies and GCCs.
This tier-1 city has created a thriving and collaborative IT ecosystem
with modern facilities.
Pune has enabled an extremely symbiotic relationship between
industry and academia (which comprise prestigious engineering and
management colleges), that has built a large and versatile IT talent
pool. This has created a positive reinforcement of talent attracting
companies, and vice versa.
bengaluru 28.45
ahmedabad 2.65
                                                                                                                                     34
tier-2 cities
Jaipur takes the top slot in junior level (18.18%) and senior level hiring                                      Indore’s excellent infrastructure, renowned educational institutions that
(20.78%) — and the third position in middle level hiring (9.76%).                                               provide a qualified talent pool, government initiatives and incentives to
Jaipur has rapidly consolidated its growth as an IT hub through rapid                                           promote the IT industry, and its thriving start-up ecosystem has made this
expansion of its start-up and technology companies, positive                                                    tier-2 city a strong magnet for investors, IT companies and job aspirants.
government initiatives and investments (such as the Rajiv Gandhi                                                Kochi ranks a very strong first in the middle level hiring (21.10%) and a close
Knowledge Service and Innovation Hubs), and significant support from                                            fifth in the senior level (8.13%). Thiruvananthapuram stood fourth in senior
the Software Technology Parks of India, Jaipur. These have attracted                                            level hiring (8.58%) and among the Top 10 in the junior and middle levels.
domestic and international companies, resulting in job creation and
                                                                                                                IT companies in Kerala registered a remarkable growth in 2023. Export
economic growth.
                                                                                                                revenues from the IT parks in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode have
The companies that are housed in Jaipur deliver expert and niche
                                                                                                                boomed, and the government has announced plans to establish 20 smaller IT
solutions and services (application development, software platforms,
                                                                                                                parks based on 5G technology. The Kerala Fiber Optic Network (K-FON)
engineering services, data analytics, geographic data, cloud,
                                                                                                                initiative aims to deliver consistent, affordable and high-speed internet
blockchain, artificial intelligence, etc.), and this explains the healthy
                                                                                                                access, and will further boost the state’s infrastructure strength. Little
demand for talent at all levels.
                                                                                                                wonder that the number of IT professionals in Kerala has grown from by 31%
Indore stands second in the middle (10.17%) and senior level (17.07%)                                           between 2016 and 202343 - and promises greater opportunities in the future.
hiring position — and a close third in junior level hiring (11.98%).
From being India's cleanest city for six years in a row, Indore has
purposefully shaped up to become India's major IT hub. With four IT
Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Indore has consistently chalked up
impressive growth of software exports. Its proposed new tech park is
estimated to house another 50 companies42.
42
     https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/technology/madhya-pradesh-to-house-50-technology-companies-in-indore-it-park/100048838
43
     http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/106518840.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
Surat and Ludhiana make an impressive debut in rankings among the tier-2 cities
for IT talent demand. Surat features in the Top 10 list for junior hiring and
Ludhiana ranks a strong seventh in senior hiring.
Surat has emerged as an impressive hub for SaaS startups, which have raised
impressive funding, showing growing investor confidence in Surat's SaaS
ecosystem.
Ludhiana has a vibrant community of technology companies, startups,
entrepreneurs, and skilled IT professionals. Its strategic location, supportive
business environment, access to infrastructure and talent, and strong industrial
base have resulted in the emergence of a robust IT sector.
Coimbatore, Lucknow, Vadodara, Nagpur, Mysore and Nashik feature in the Top
10 rankings in the hiring demand at different levels.
kochi                                      12.99
                                                   chandigarh                   8.53    coimbatore                  3.70
indore                                     11.98
                                                   coimbatore                    8.15   ludhiana                     3.16
chandigarh                                 7.85
                                                   thiruvananthapuram            7.13   lucknow                      2.89
mohali                                     5.04
                                                   mohali                        5.14   nagpur                       2.62
                                                                                                                             Surat features
coimbatore                                 4.38
                                                                                        nashik                       2.35
                                                                                                                             in the Top 10
                                                   vadodara                     3.87
                                                                                                                             list for junior
lucknow                                     3.71
                                                   mysore                       3.70                                         hiring and
thiruvananthapuram                         3.60                                                                              Ludhiana ranks
                                                   nagpur                       3.36
                                                                                                                             a strong
vadodara                                    3.18                                                                             seventh in
                                                                                                                             senior hiring
surat                                       2.91
                                                                                                                                       37
key talent trends across IT skills.
Although we see a healthy average junior level                The demand for salesforce developer ranks
hiring in tier-1 and tier-2 cities (73.16% and 87.38%,        uniformly high across all levels in almost all tier-1
respectively), this is a slight dip over the last year        (specifically, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Ahmedabad
(77.65% and 88.63%, respectively).                            and Kolkata) and tier-2 cities (specifically, Jaipur,
                                                              Chandigarh, Lucknow, Nagpur and Bhopal).
While the IT industry continues with its strong intent
                                                              Further, upskilling in Salesforce development
to hire freshers and juniors across both tier-1 and
                                                              leads to upward mobility as development
tier-2 cities, it is also rapidly evolving to technological
                                                              consultants, integration engineers, and CRM
innovations and transformation, advanced analytics,
                                                              developers, to name a few.
AI, ML and blockchain. This calls for experienced
professionals in emerging technologies, leading to            The demand for Java developers is the highest in
this slight shift — which is also reflected in the            the middle level hiring (9.85%). It stands second
emergence of skill requirements such as salesforce            at the junior level (6.99%), and third at the senior
developers, NLP (natural language processing)                 level (5.53%).
professionals and ethical hackers.
                                                              As the prime and default programming language
Hiring of Salesforce developers zoomed to the top             for the software development tool ecosystem and
position at the junior (12.57%) and senior level              for developing android apps, the demand for Java
hiring (16.03%) — and ranks second at the middle              professionals continue to be high across levels.
level (6.96%).                                                Especially in the IT leader locations, Java skills
                                                              lead the demand race. In tier-1 cities, it comes first
Salesforce development elevates the role and
                                                              across all levels in Pune, in the junior and middle
capabilities of the full-stack developer with the
                                                              level in Bangalore, and at mid-levels in Chennai
Salesforce platform's customer and system-facing
                                                              and Hyderabad. In tier-2 cities, it ranks first in the
components — and this makes the Salesforce
                                                              senior level in Coimbatore, in the middle level in
developer a critical cog in helping businesses to
                                                              Kochi, and in both the middle and senior levels in
effectively engage with clients in a rapidly
                                                              Thiruvananthapuram.
changing business environment.
                                                                                    India talent insights report 2024 | 38
Animation and graphics professionals surge ahead to the second position at the         We see some interesting distribution of Top 5 skill demands and hiring trends
senior level (8.81%) and third at the junior level (4.75%).                            at in the senior levels in tier-1 cities
In today’s era of digital strategy and marketing, animation and graphics               •   Front-end professionals in Kolkata and Delhi-NCR
specialists are in demand due to their critical skill creating exceptional             •   Hardware engineers in Ahmedabad and Mumbai
interactions with customers. Kolkata and Delhi-NCR show a strong demand for            •   Networking professionals in Chennai
this skill at the junior and senior levels among tier-1 cities — while in Jaipur,      •   SAP professionals in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai
Vadodara, Indore and Lucknow among tier-2 cities, the demand is the highest
                                                                                       The roles of NLP specialists and ethical hackers have gained traction in both
at the junior and middle levels.
                                                                                       tier-1 and tier-2 cities.
The demand for Agile and project management specialists continues this year            With the rise of chatbots, virtual assistants, and sentiment analysis, NLP skills
too, and ranks a steady fourth across all levels — junior (4.47%), middle (6.62%),     are in demand for processing and analyzing human language data — and
and senior (4.93%).                                                                    enhance brand performance and customer satisfaction.
With its focus on continued evolution and collaboration, this critical                 Ethical hacking is a critical aspect of cybersecurity models to protect and
methodology enables organizations with speedy go-to-market deadlines, and              secure data and information. With cybersecurity taking centerstage in the IT
provides the much-needed flexibility to address shifting priorities and                industry, ethical hackers (also known as 'white hat hackers'), are employed to
stakeholder engagement. That is why it finds a place among the Top 5 skills in         legally break into computers and networks to test an organization's overall
demand across all levels in all tier-1 locations and at the senior level in the more   security.
developed IT hubs in tier-2 cities (Jaipur, Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Mohali,
Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Bhopal).
The demand for software engineers continues at the junior (3.78%) and middle
levels (4.36%).
Software engineering skills enable businesses to automate manual tasks,
generate revenues from new market opportunities, speedily scale operations,
and enhance customer engagement. It is a measure of the ubiquitous nature of
this skill that it provides good opportunities at the junior and middle levels in
tier-1 cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai.
                                                                                                                                     40
the future talent landscape for IT.
There is a distinct paradigm shift in India’s technology talent landscape                                            transformation journey. Our report thus shows the rise in demand for
as the IT/ITES industry veers towards innovation, adaptation, and                                                    functional consultants, business analysts, and big data engineers,
collaboration. As our talent insights report reveals a huge array of                                                 among others.
diverse skills have exploded across the talent canvas — some in big                                                  The growing threat of cyber breaches call for skilled cybersecurity
numbers and others not so big in numbers today, but holding the                                                      specialists who are proficient in threat detection and predictive risk
promise of surging in the future. With technology-led innovation                                                     management. The skills of the information security professional will be
driving almost every industry, the IT sector presents limitless                                                      in increasing demand — the emergence of the role of the ethical
opportunities for professionals, aspirants and organizations in a                                                    hacker in this year’s report in a case in point.
digital-first world.
                                                                                                                     According to NASSCOM, the demand-supply gap in technology talent
India's tech prowess demand for skilled professionals has stepped up                                                 in India is the lowest in the world at 21.1%44. With IT players registering
beyond established IT services leaders to its booming ecosystem of                                                   new wins and improving the number of multi-year renewals with
technology-led startups that drive disruption across industries.                                                     existing clients, overall hiring in the IT industry is projected to increase
Additionally, India has also become a strategic hub for global                                                       by 12-15%45 in 2024. The Indian IT industry’s enhanced focus on
operations, resulting in a big expansion of Global Capability                                                        learning, skilling and reskilling is highly encouraging — and along with
Centers (GCC).                                                                                                       the fact that there is an annual supply of 2.14 million STEM graduates a
Into 2024, this diverse expansion in the IT industry will call for core and                                          year46, this is encouraging for the future of tech talent in India. The
nuanced skills in data science and analytics, cloud computing,                                                       Indian IT industry must continue with and accelerate its holistic talent
cybersecurity, AI/ML, Gen AI, and robotic process automation (RPA).                                                  development strategy, with a purposeful approach to reskilling,
There will also be an increasing demand for domain-driven tech talent                                                cross-skilling and upskilling - and, more importantly, to drawing up
(IoT, embedded systems, automation) from non-tech industries (such                                                   customized location strategies for accessing and attracting the
as manufacturing, energy, retail, and PHL), in their digital                                                         right talent.
44
     https://nasscom.in/knowledge-center/publications/indias-tech-industry-talent-demand-supply-analysis
45
     https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/information-tech/hiring-in-indian-it-sector-likely-to-see-8-10-growth-in-2024-report/articleshow/106316064.cms?from=mdr
46
     https://nasscom.in/knowledge-center/publications/indias-tech-industry-talent-demand-supply-analysis
47
     https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/an-overview-of-indian-healthcare-industry-in-2023/106118311
48
     https://assets.ey.com/content/dam/ey-sites/ey-com/en_in/news/2023/11/ey-re-imagining-pharma-and-healthcare-for-india-100-report.pdf
49
     https://knnindia.co.in/news/newsdetails/state/karnataka/karnataka-govt-plans-knowledge-healthcare-innovation-city-outside-bengaluru-to-create-80000-jobs
50
     https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/policy/roadmap-laid-to-make-hyderabad-the-healthcare-mecca/98208530
51
     https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/gurugram-emerges-as-a-major-medical-value-travel-hub-study/98842310
52
     https://startuptn.in/sector/healthcare-and-lifesciences/
ahmedabad 3.15
                                                                                                                           45
tier-2 cities
Jaipur makes a high leap to leadership position at the junior (9.03%)                                         Indore ranks fourth in senior level hiring (7.43%), fifth in the junior level
and senior levels (12.16%).                                                                                   (7.40%), and a close sixth (6.73%) at the middle level.
Jaipur has rapidly risen as a successful blend of entrepreneur-driven                                         With more than 96 pharmaceutical units53 and sizeable number of super
super specialty hospitals, corporate healthcare institutions with diverse                                     specialty hospitals and diagnostic facilities, Indore spearheads the march of
quaternary services, and government medical colleges and hospitals. It                                        Madhya Pradesh’s PHL industry. Additionally, the proposed 360-acre medical
also has a robust pharmaceutical ecosystem of manufacturing units,                                            devices park (located just 45 km from Indore) has attracted good
distribution channels, and research facilities. Specifically, its                                             investments, and promises to create significant job opportunities.
distribution model of pharmaceutical franchising has created
significant employment opportunities.                                                                         Visakhapatnam makes a big jump, tying for the fourth rank in senior level
                                                                                                              hiring (7.43%), while retaining its fifth position at the middle level (7.50%).
Chandigarh surges to the first position in middle level hiring (10.96%),
                                                                                                              With its robust medical infrastructure and strong research culture,
ranks a strong second in the senior level (10.81%), and a close third in
                                                                                                              Visakhapatnam has emerged as a prominent pharmaceutical hub. Home to a
the junior level (8.58%).
                                                                                                              host of pharmaceutical companies, two pharma SEZs, and Andhra Pradesh
This is a significant rise for Chandigarh as a major tier-2 employment                                        MedTech Zone this city is a leading producer of Active Pharmaceutical
hub for the PHL industry. Along with the neighboring city of Panchkula,                                       Ingredients (API), bulk drugs and chemicals — offering good job
it is home to a host of major pharmaceutical manufacturing companies                                          opportunities.
— from generic drugs to specialized formulations. The government’s
attractive incentives, land allotments and capital investment subsidies
have boosted the growth of the PHL industry in this tier-2 city.
Additionally, the upcoming bulk drug park in Una district (126 km from
Chandigarh) promises even higher growth and job opportunities.
53
     https://invest.mp.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Pharmaceuticals-Medical-devices-and-Healthcare.pdf
54
     hhttps://www.logisticsinsider.in/goa-shifts-focus-to-industrial-growth-with-new-investments/
55
     https://www.pharmaadda.in/list-of-pharma-companies-in-surat#:~:text=There%20are%20approximately%20567%20pharmaceutical,Gujarat%20but%20all%20over%20India.
                                                  mohali                       4.23
thane                                      5.04
goa 3.94
                                                                                                                                      48
key talent trends across PHL skills.
There is a huge jump in the average junior level                                    With a rapid rise in multi-specialty hospitals,
hiring in tier-1 cities over last year (80.93% vs                                   Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Pune show the highest
56.28%). Tier-2 cities maintained their high average                                demand for specialty doctors.
of junior level hiring at 85.86%.
                                                                                    The role of research analysts ranks a strong
The Indian PHL industry has very ambitious plans                                    second at all levels of hiring — junior (21.13%),
for the decades ahead as it moves to its India@100                                  middle (21.31%) and senior (22.29%).
goals. It looks to touch USD 130 billion by 2030
                                                                                    As India steps beyond R&D in generics (where it is
and USD 450 billion market by 2047, and the
                                                                                    an established leader) to complex generics,
healthcare sector looks to achieve a Disability
                                                                                    biosimilars, new chemical entities (NCEs) and new
Adjusted Life Years (DALY) rate of 10,000 and
                                                                                    biological entities (NBEs), the demand for skilled
out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure of 10%56. This
                                                                                    research analysts has increased across all levels.
calls for aggressive capacity expansion and talent
                                                                                    With India moving surely into the next-gen
development, and provides great employment
                                                                                    therapy space, we can expect this trend to further
opportunities for the youth of the country.
                                                                                    increase.
Hiring of specialty doctors ranked first at the junior                              Mumbai (as the headquarters of pharma giants),
(34.24%) and senior levels (23.09%) — and third in                                  and Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru (with a
the middle level (16.26%).                                                          good number of research labs) show a high
Specialty doctors are in high demand due to many                                    demand for research analysts. Coimbatore, Jaipur
reasons — demographic shifts, advancements in                                       and Vadodara — among tier-2 cities — see a
medical technology, lifestyle changes, widening                                     strong demand for research analysts. Across both
global health challenges, etc. This has led to the rise                             tier-1 and tier-2 cities, there is healthy demand for
of specialist healthcare services such as management                                research analysts, especially in the junior and
of infectious diseases, public health, epidemics                                    middle levels — opening promising avenues of
and pandemics, behavioral counselling, healthcare                                   employment.
informatics, and niche telemedicine areas.
56
     https://assets.ey.com/content/dam/ey-sites/ey-com/en_in/news/2023/11/ey-re-imagining-pharma-and-healthcare-for-india-100-report.pdf
Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru among tier-1 cities — and                                                         • As a skill in developing, preparing and maintaining quality data analytics for
Jaipur, Coimbatore, and Lucknow among tier-2 cities show the highest demand                                                    leadership decision-making in promoting new growth opportunities for the
for management professionals in the middle and senior levels.                                                                  organization, the drug analyst is a strategic role that progresses from the
                                                                                                                               junior and middle levels to the ninth rank at the senior level.
Demand for API ranks third in junior level (15.08%), and fourth in both the                                                  • Equally strategic is the role of the formulation scientist, who leads the
middle level (15.27%) and senior level (13.05%).                                                                               design and development of formulations, scales up for manufacturing for
India ranks as the world's third-largest API producer, and supplies 57% of APIs                                                clinical and pre-clinical trials, and prepares reports for regulatory
that are listed on the WHO prequalified catalogue57. Given its advanced                                                        submissions. That is why this role ranks among the Top 10 in hiring demand
chemical industry and competitive costs, India has attracted significant                                                       at the middle and senior levels.
investments in this sector, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.7% in the                                               • The bioinformatic scientist, who conducts research to study huge molecular
next few years.                                                                                                                datasets (through software and custom scripts that automate data mining
With a reported talent churn of 40% in leadership roles in the Indian API                                                      and manipulation) is a sought-after skill at the junior level (and progressing
segment58 the demand for talent is expected to grow — especially for the roles                                                 to the middle level), as they emerge from advanced academic learning
of site heads, cluster heads and chief operating officers to lead and strategically
                                                                                                                             As in the previous years, most hiring for medical coders, pharmacists, medical
drive the growth of manufacturing operations.
                                                                                                                             representatives, and staff nurse are in the junior and middle level.
The demand for production skills ranks among the Top 5 skills hired across all levels.                                       The PHL industry maintains its successful practice of hiring freshers and junior
Cost competitiveness, economies of scale, and efficient manufacturing                                                        candidates with potential from academia and other industries, and skilling
processes has placed the Indian PHL industry in a position to provide scale and                                              them to meet their individual requirements.
57
     https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/pharmaceuticals/indias-api-industry-faces-high-leadership-talent-churn-report/articleshow/107911987.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
58
     https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/api-industry-facing-40-shortage-of-leadership-talent-has-no-women-in-top-positions-report-12332481.html
                                                                                                                           51
the future talent landscape for PHL.
As part of the India@100 vision, the Indian PHL                                       the PHL industry.
industry has set its sights on touching USD 130                                       • Build end-to-end supply chain efficiency to
billion by 2030 and USD 450 billion by 204759. This                                     place India as a credible ‘China+1’ option
vision will be driven by a focus on innovation,                                       This opens up tremendous employment
delivery of access to integrated healthcare, and                                      opportunities across diverse areas of domain,
integration with the global pharmaceutical                                            technology, research, quality, patient experience,
landscape.                                                                            manufacturing, supply chain and strategic
It is an exciting future for this industry, as it focuses                             management. Specifically, the rapid growth of
on the following areas to achieve its 2047 goals:                                     pharma GCCs augurs well for talent development
• Establish a collaborative innovation ecosystem                                      and deployment at scale. The PHL industry will do
  where corporates, startups, biotechs, academia,                                     well to accelerate its investments in collaborating
  and clinical researchers come together                                              with academia in drawing up higher education
• Build global capability centers (GCC) that foster                                   and vocational programs to enhance
  talent and skill development across the PHL value                                   employability of the young brigade — and bolster
  chain                                                                               it through rapid reskilling and upskilling.
59
     https://www.ey.com/en_in/health/pharma-and-healthcare-for-india-100-a-century-of-change-on-the-horizon
                                                                                                              India talent insights report 2024 | 52
talent insights.
industry focus – retail, FMCG & FMCD
Rising consumer demand, disruptive technology innovations, global partnerships                                         consumer electronics and appliances, modern trade, and e-commerce. The strong
and strategic investments signaled the renaissance of the Indian retail, FMCG and                                      demand for skills such as fashion, graphic and accessory designing, store managers,
FMCD sectors in 2023 — building on the resurgence seen in 2022. This was fueled                                        quality assurance and product managers reflect this reality.
by burgeoning physical and online access due to strong digital ecosystems, greater                                     Social commerce has emerged as a new frontier to directly integrate shopping
convenience through lower logistics costs, and higher affordability (especially with                                   experiences into social media channels — with influencer marketing, live streaming,
the average per capita income moving past the USD 2000 mark).                                                          and interactive content as vital tools in driving sales and revenues. And thus, we see
A significant feature of this sector’s growth has been the tremendous demand                                           a significant demand for retail and visual merchandizing skills.
and reach of e-commerce in tier-2 cities (seven out of 10 online shoppers live in                                      The growth of the FMCG (valued at USD 230.14 billion in 202365) and FMCD
Tier-2+ cities). We thus have two additional tier-2 cities featuring in our Talent                                     (registering a 8-10 percent increase66 in revenues In FY 2023) segments was also
Insights Report this year — Ludhiana and Surat. This is also reflected in the                                          driven by digitization, e-commerce, recovery of rural markets, sustainable product
employment demand in tier-2 locations, especially at the junior level.                                                 development and packaging. We thus see a seamless and holistic convergence of
Establishing itself as the fourth largest retail destination worldwide, the Indian                                     skills mentioned above in the retail, FMCG and FMCD sector, and this is a very
retail industry registered a value growth of 9.7% in 2023 to touch USD 1.3                                             positive development for both employment opportunities and talent development.
trillion61. In terms of contribution to the national economy, it accounts for more                                     With the Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) market emerging as a potent force (thanks to
than 10% of India's GDP and 8% of its total workforce62. Riding the digital waves,                                     e-commerce), the roles of product analysts, category managers and r&d specialists
India's e-commerce market led this growth with an estimated revenue of more                                            (with expertise in data analytics, AI-powered algorithms, IoT, 3D printing),
than USD 63 billion63 — and about 230-250 million online shoppers64. The                                               have played a big role in personalizing consumer preferences and enhancing
segments driving this growth include food and grocery, apparel and footwear,                                           direct distribution.
60
     https://www.india-briefing.com/news/navigating-business-prospects-in-indias-retail-industry-key-growth-drivers-29245.html/
61
     https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/indian-retail-recap-2023-technopak-advisors-edzic
62
     https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/blog/a-glance-at-indias-retail-renaissance-in-2023/106431407
63
     https://www.statista.com/forecasts/289770/e-commerce-revenue-forecast-in-india
64
     https://www.bain.com/insights/how-india-shops-online-2023/#:~:text=India's%20annual%20transacting%20e%2Dretail,250%20million%20people%20in%202023.
65
     https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/market-report/indian-fast-moving-consumer-goods-fmcg-market/29038/
66
     https://sundayguardianlive.com/business/demand-for-premium-goods-may-lift-consumer-durables-industry-revenue-by-8-10
67
     https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/real-estate/bengaluru-hyderabad-lead-retail-supply-in-q4-of-cy2023-high-streets-in-demand-report-11997621.html
68
     https://www.news18.com/business/bengaluru-mg-road-high-streets-mumbai-linking-road-delhi-south-ex-7772497.html#google_vignette
Chennai shows a significant jump to the fifth spot in the junior level
(10.40%) and third in the senior level (14. 20%) — while maintaining
its fifth rank in the middle level (8.11%).
Retail is one of the biggest sectors in Tamil Nadu, with Chennai as a
major center for retail, FMCG and FMCD companies. Its strategic
location, well-developed infrastructure, and thriving industrial base
has also seen its rise as a significant logistics hub in the last few years
with a surging demand for warehousing facilities. This accounts for
its strong and steady demand for talent across all levels.
69
     hhttps://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2023/Oct/20/retail-space-absorption-in-hyderabad-rises-by-145-per-cent-yoy-report-2625591.html
70
     https://www.indiaretailing.com/2024/03/23/west-bengal-retail-powerhouse-malls/
delhi-ncr 34.47
ahmedabad 2.50
                                                                                                                                 56
tier-2 cities
In a major jump, Jaipur ranks as the leader across all levels of hiring — junior     Lucknow rises to a close third in junior level hiring (7.82%), fourth in senior level
(21.44%), middle (23.18%), and senior (28.71%).                                      hiring (7.18%), and among the top ten in the middle level segment.
This is a tremendous increase of demand in this tier-2 city, which is Rajasthan’s    The FMCG sector has emerged as a key employment generator in Lucknow
commercial and industrial hub. Marked by lower operating costs, proximity to         thanks to the UP government’s GBC 4.0 initiative. Plus, the city’s retail real estate
Delhi-NCR, and an attractive talent pool, Jaipur has consolidated its position as    market witnessed robust growth, driven by rapid urbanization, a rising middle
a prominent center for the retail, FMCG and FMCD sector. With an international       class population, and increased consumer spending. This tier-2 city has seen the
airport and air cargo complex, Jaipur is a thriving and reliable destination for     emergence of high-street retail outlets and new shopping malls due to the
facilitating exports in the jewellery, gemstones, textiles and home décor            expansion of domestic and international retail brands.
segments. Plus, the city has a vibrant mix of high streets, shopping malls,
                                                                                     Kochi rises to the second position in middle level hiring (7.51%), a very close
high-end boutiques and multi-brand stores. It is not surprising that Jaipur has
                                                                                     fourth in the junior level (7.76%) and features in the top ten in the senior level.
risen in the charts for talent demand.
                                                                                     Kerala has emerged as a leading retail destination, with Kochi leading the total
Chandigarh surges to the second position in junior level hiring (8.29%), ties        Grade A retail supply in 2023 at 1 million sq. ft71. Kochi now has more than 10
for the fourth in the middle level (6.84%) and third at the senior level (8.61%).    shopping malls, which house major global brands and value formats. The
This is a significant jump for Chandigarh as it becomes a major tier-2               increased demand for talent reflects the versatility of its key retail segments —
employment hub for the retail, FMCG and FMCD industry. Its economic                  fashion and apparel (57% share), homeware and department stores (23% share)
growth and well-planned infrastructure have given rise to an affluent                and luxury (7% share)72.
consumer base, which has attracted major domestic and international retail
brands. Along with its sister city, Mohali (ranked sixth in junior and middle
level hiring), Chandigarh has become a prominent and thriving retail market
opening up tremendous employment opportunities.
71
     https://www.indiaretailing.com/2023/12/23/kerala-leads-in-mall-launches-2023/
72
     https://www.indiaretailing.com/2023/12/23/kerala-leads-in-mall-launches-2023/
                                                                                                                                       59
key talent trends across retail, FMCG & FMCD skills.
There was a significant jump in junior level hiring                                   The vibrant and expanding retail industry offers
over last year— an average of 83.64% and 87.11%                                       tremendous opportunities for job seekers with a
of the overall hiring in tier-1 and tier-2 cities,                                    creative flair. Fashion, graphic and accessory
respectively, has been for fresher’s and juniors.                                     designing go beyond creating clothing and
This has reinforced the trend of youth employment                                     accessories to include niche specialization — textile
opportunities in the retail, FMCG and FMCD sector                                     technology, sustainable fashion, and more. Ranking
at all locations.                                                                     first across all levels reinforces the opportunities for
The Indian retail industry is aggressively augmenting                                 career development for such skilled professionals.
its technological capabilities (AI, data and analytics)                               The role of the store manager jumps to second
to revamp online engagement and elevate in-store                                      position in the junior (25.82%) and senior level
experiences. This leads to new job opportunities in                                   (26.57%) hiring, and ranks third in middle level
the industry — and with the good availability of junior                               hiring (8.35%).
skills in most tier-1 and tier-2 cities, there is
                                                                                      Physical retail, which saw a strong recovery in 2022,
confidence in hiring large numbers at this level.
                                                                                      made a powerful surge in 2023 with strategic
In Pune, Delhi-NCR region, Kolkata, and Chennai
                                                                                      investments for 60 new shopping malls across the
among tier-1 cities, more than 85% of the total
                                                                                      country, occupying more than 23 million sq. ft of
demand is for junior professionals. In the tier-2 cities
                                                                                      retail space76. The store manager’s role therefore
of Vishakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, and Surat
                                                                                      becomes critical all over again, and the demand for
close to 93% of the total demand has been for
                                                                                      senior level hiring underscores the strategic
freshers.
                                                                                      importance of this role. The dominance of hiring for
At every level, the demand for fashion/graphic/                                       this role at the junior level shows the industry’s
accessory designers outpaced others to rank a                                         willingness to groom youngsters for this skill.
strong first — junior (32.50%), middle (40.45%) and
senior (31.68%).
76
     https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/blog/a-glance-at-indias-retail-renaissance-in-2023/106431407
                                                                                                                India talent insights report 2024 | 60
Retail and visual merchandising roles rank a strong second in middle level           Product analysts are vital for creating the right products at the right prices for
hiring (25.56%) and third at the junior (20.07%) and senior (19.14%) levels.         the right segments of customers and markets — and for driving management
Retail and visual merchandizing is the critical skill that boosts revenues           decisions on investments. Considering the goals of the Indian retail, FMCG
through brand enhancement, and heightened customer engagement and                    and FMCD industry to make impactful forays into the global market, this role
experiences and brand loyalty. With this skill moving into exciting areas of         will further grow in stature.
interactive displays, sustainability, technology integration, and personalization,   The demand for product analysts stands among the top 10 skills at both the
there are tremendous opportunities for retail and visual merchandizing               junior and middle levels, and this is a clear indication of the upward career
professionals in the future.                                                         mobility for this skill.
Quality assurance maintains its important position as in previous years, ranking     The role of the e-commerce executive also makes its maiden appearance in
fourth across all levels — junior (5.58%), middle (6.02%) and senior (10.56%).       the talent trends this year.
With the increasing product and technology innovations in the retail, FMCG           With e-commerce burgeoning in volumes across all locations — and across
and FMCD industry, quality assurance will play a vital role. The opportunities       the individual segments of retail, FMCG and FMCD — the e-commerce
for quality assurance professionals with added skills to address customer            executive becomes a critical cog to support the company's digital
experience, IT infrastructure (especially for online retail), omni-channel           merchandise strategy, launch new products, manage product portfolio,
marketing, cyber security, will be certainly higher.                                 develop marketing campaigns, and track and improve customer experience.
Apparel/garment technician skills rank fifth at the junior and middle level          Being a strategic role, it finds a place in the top ten skills at the middle and
hiring, and sixth at the senior level.                                               senior levels. The fact that it is also a close 11th in ranking at the junior level
Working closely with the design, sourcing and factory teams, apparel/garment         shows its promise and potential for sustained career development.
technicians are versatile specialists — from pattern cutting, fabric choices and     Franchising, r&d professionals, sales executives, and category managers
fittings, quality and performance of the garment piece. With the apparel             continue to feature among the top ten skills for the retail and FMCG industry.
industry ruling high in both tier-1 and tier-2 cities, employment opportunities
for this skill will continue to expand.
The product analyst enters the skill portfolio for the first time in the retail,
FMCG and FMCD industry.
                                                                                                                                   62
the future talent landscape for retail, FMCG & FMCD.
The Indian retail market is poised to touch USD 350 billion by 202577                                               incomes, these cities that are now contributing 56% of the nation's retail
and will be led by the digital revolution of e-commerce and                                                         spending79, will grow further. With the high diversity of regional
omni-channel innovations in the traditional brick-and-mortar stores                                                 preferences, this is a huge market opportunity for retailers looking to
for a seamless shopping experience. India’s e-commerce is projected                                                 expand beyond the saturated metros and tier-1 cities, — and bodes well
to grow by 18% per year till 2025, with an Internet user base of more                                               for job opportunities in these new locations. Additionally, this industry is
than one billion78. Social commerce will further blur the lines between                                             heavily focusing on consolidating warehouses and building logistics
browsing and purchasing, and create a more interactive and                                                          networks for effective hub-and-spoke models. Warehouse automation
engaging shopping experience.                                                                                       will definitely be the way to go — and future talent demand in
In terms of skill demand, both aspirants and organizations need to be                                               warehousing, inventory and distribution will call for proficiency in
cognizant of the fact that technology will have a huge influence on                                                 advanced robotics, AI, advanced data analytics and cloud-based
talent requirements and opportunities. Conventional positions (such                                                 systems.
as clerks, warehouse supervisors, and backend sales staff) will likely                                              By 2030, this industry is projected to generate 25 million new jobs to
be automated with self-serve and advanced inventory and payment                                                     be the single largest creator of new jobs in the country80. With
systems. While eliminating some roles, this trend will give rise to                                                 frictionless retail being the future mantra for the retail, FMCG and
demand in new roles for e-commerce fulfilment, digital marketing,                                                   FMCD industry, talent acquisition and management must take
and product analysis — this is exactly what we see in our report with                                               cognizance of this reality, and embrace innovation, adaptability, an
respect to newer skill demands.                                                                                     unerring focus on customer experience. Cutting edge technologies,
Tier-2 & 3 cities will emerge as frontiers of growth for the retail, FMCG                                           domain expertise, sustainable practices will be key requirements for
and FMCD industry. With rapid urbanization and increasing disposable                                                both organizations and their talent force.
77
  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/indias-e-commerce-market-reach-350-billion-2030-dfupublications-zlpqc#:~:text=India's%20e%2Dcommerce%20market%20is,transforming%20their%20dreams%20into%20reality.
&text=E%2Dcommerce%20simplifies%20operations%2C%20replacing,guesswork%20with %20data%2Ddriven%20insights.
78
  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/indias-e-commerce-market-reach-350-billion-2030-dfupublications-zlpqc#:~:text=India's%20e%2Dcommerce%20market%20is,transforming%20their%20dreams%20into%20reality.
&text=E%2Dcommerce%20simplifies%20operations%2C%20replacing, guesswork%20with%20data%2Ddriven%20insights.
79
     https://www.fortuneindia.com/macro/non-metro-msmes-likely-to-surge-ahead-of-metro-cities-in-festive-sales/114446
80
     https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/blog/a-glance-at-indias-retail-renaissance-in-2023/106431407
Mumbai ranks first in senior level hiring (26.49%) and second in the                                                  Chennai ranks third in the junior (17.29%) and middle level hiring (17.68%),
junior (20.58%) and middle levels (18.86%).                                                                           and fourth in senior level hiring (14.24%).
Maharashtra’s power industry holds the distinction of being the largest                                               As a major wind energy producer and a leader in wind turbine manufacturing,
producer and consumer of electricity in India — and also one of the                                                   Tamil Nadu has an excellent ecosystem of wind energy generation and
best in terms of financial performance, quality of power supply,                                                      component manufacture. This has given rise to a number of medium and
adoption of digital technologies and promotion of clean energy. As                                                    small-scale component manufacturers to boost job opportunities.
part of its Vision 2030, it has drawn up ambitious plans in the areas of
generation, transmission, load dispatch and distribution — and this is
reflected in the talent demand across levels.
82
     https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/in/Documents/about-deloitte/in-ad-india-karnataka-investment-destination-noexp.pdf
83
     https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/more-than-a-third-of-power-consumed-in-delhi-is-green/articleshow/105972288.cms
mumbai 26.49
ahmedabad 2.60
                                                                                                                                         66
tier-2 cities
Vadodara takes the top slot in hiring demand at all levels — junior             hydrogen-based energy plant (1,000 KW) on the premises of Cochin
(21.54%), middle (41.34%) and senior (43.10%).                                  International Airport by 2025. The state aims to become 100% reliant on
Vadodara has seen a surge in investments in solar and wind power                renewable energy by 2040 and to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2050. This
projects. Combined with Gujarat Industries Power Company Limited                offers excellent opportunities to generate employment.
(GIPCL)’s commitment to renewable energy, this has opened excellent job         Coimbatore stands second in middle level hiring (13.98%), sixth in senior level
opportunities at all levels. Additionally, Vadodara is a strong hub for         and eighth in the junior level.
power transmission and distribution equipment manufacturing.                    With many textile and engineering units in Coimbatore investing renewable
Vadodara’s strength in both manufacturing and technology makes it an            energy for reasons of cost and fulfilment of ESG objectives, we can see the
ideal location for both talent demand and availability — and this explains      growth of this industry, and future opportunities for talent demand — especially
its #1 position at all levels.                                                  as this tier-2 city has a strong pipeline of talent in the industrial and technology
Jaipur ranks second in junior level hiring (11.62%), fourth in middle level     sectors.
(7.29%) and third in senior level (12.07%).                                     Indore ranks fourth in both senior level (10.34%) and junior level hiring (9.22%) —
Under Rajasthan's Renewable Energy Policy 2023, which aims to raise the         and is among the Top 10 in the middle level.
state to a leadership position in renewable energy in four years, quite a       Indore is embarking on a pathbreaking and transformative path of becoming a
few projects are in progress to promote solar, wind and hybrid power —          ‘solar city’. This plan looks at generating 300 MW power through solar panels,
as well as battery energy storage systems. Jaipur as the capital of             and has set the foundation for creating significant job opportunities.
Rajasthan is the epicenter of hiring activities — and it leverages its
                                                                                Surat and Ludhiana, new entrants to the list of tier-2 cities in our report this time,
strength in the technology talent space to create a healthy demand for
                                                                                are positioned impressively in the Top 15 across different levels.
new-gen energy requirements.
                                                                                Other tier-2 locations that are positioned to rise in the future are Chandigarh,
Kochi takes the second position in the hiring demand in the senior level
                                                                                Lucknow, Nagpur, Bhopal, Nashik, and Mysore.
(13.79%). It stands third in middle level hiring (7.60%) and a close fifth in
the junior level (8.82%).
Kerala’s initiatives have generated more than 1,000 MW of solar
and wind energy. Work is also under way to develop the first
                                                                                                                                       68
key talent trends across energy & utility skills.
The average junior level hiring in tier-1 and tier-2 cities    This role is critical to ensuring that the right space
(69.10% and 72.06%, respectively) has increased over           planning is done (through optimal supply and
the last year’s averages (63.97% and 59.92%, respectively).    production) for minimizing the consumption of energy
                                                               by buildings at all stages in their life cycle. The strong
The energy & utility industry’s high focus to leverage
                                                               demand at all levels is also indicative of a positive
the potential of the renewable energy sector calls for a
blend of domain and technology skills. Companies in            career progression in this role.
this sector have taken the route of hiring junior talent       The demand for supply/production/space planning
and skilling them to meet the growing demand. Among            professionals is the highest in Chennai, Hyderabad and
Tier-1 cities, in Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR and Pune rank as        Delhi-NCR among tier-1 cities across all levels — among
the top three locations for junior hiring. In Tier-2 cities,   tier-2 cities, the demand is highest in Coimbatore,
Lucknow, Indore and Surat show strong hiring for               Chandigarh, and Indore, across all levels.
junior level talent.
                                                               Other technical roles in transmission and distribution
Technical engineers take a commanding lead across all          rank third in both junior (19.02%) and senior level hiring
levels — junior (34.16%), middle (33.43%) and senior           (12.30%); in middle level hiring, it ranks a close fourth
level hiring (42.82%).                                         (12.20%).
With their multi-dimensional skills of mechanical,             Technical specialists in transmission and distribution
chemical, electrical, and environmental engineering,           take on diverse and important responsibilities. They
technical engineers are in great demand in the energy          manage and analyze interconnections, and design
and utility industry. Technical engineers are a vital cog in   transmission systems.
designing and implementing systems for efficient energy
                                                               Uniformly across tier-1 cities, this role falls within the
generation in an environmentally friendly manner.
                                                               top three skills in demand. Among tier-2 cities, Jaipur,
The demand for technical engineer leads at all levels in       Indore, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kochi show consistent
all tier-1 cities. In tier-2 cities it ranks among the top
                                                               demand for this skill across all levels.
three skills in demand.
                                                                                                                                   71
the future talent landscape for energy & utilities.
India is ready to reshape its energy landscape and influence global            This opens immense opportunities for economic and employment
energy policies and practices. In the coming years, India will not just        growth. The talent demand will arise from three areas
be an energy consumer but will play a pivotal role in energy                   1. Energy supply
innovation and sustainability.
                                                                               2. Manufacture of energy equipment and infrastructure
The country has set in motion ambitious energy goals and charted
clear paths to achieving them.                                                 3. Global capability centers for outsourcing of energy solutions
• The PLI scheme for solar and energy storage has led many Indian              The scale of the opportunity that lies ahead holds the key to the skills
   renewable energy companies and public sector entities to seek               and roles that will be needed. IRENA’s World Energy Transition
   partnerships with technology providers. It has also led a few U.S.          Outlook (WETO) estimates that the majority of skills needed will be in
   solar companies to establish offices in India.                              the energy transition and energy efficiency space. A smart strategy
• Large Indian energy companies like Reliance, Adani, Renew Power,             would be to reskill and upskill the people in redundant roles in fossil
   Avaada — as well as public sector entities like Coal India Ltd. and         fuel areas for the needs of the clean energy sector. Many of the skills
   NTPC Ltd — have shown interest in entering the clean energy space.          (including nascent ones) featuring in our findings align to this future.
• Modernization of the national power grid, and the replacement of             To bridge the talent gap, we need to reimagine our approach to
   traditional electricity and gas meters with smart meters over the next      skilling. Starting with an industry -driven academic curriculum, the
   two years, will open the doors for smart grid and other innovations.        learning should target for proficiency at different levels in the energy
• India aims to become an exporter of clean energy by 2047,                    value chain. Technology-led platforms will ensure learning at scale —
   especially through green hydrogen. The National Hydrogen                    and this should be augmented by hands on experience in areas such
   Mission, announced in 2022, aims to build a green hydrogen                  as operations, maintenance, plant management, quality and safety.
   capacity of 5 million tons per annum by 2030.84                             With our demographic dividend and resources, it is a once-in-a-time
• Plans to double the share of natural gas in the energy mix by 2030           opportunity for skills transformation in the Indian energy and utility
   envisages the construction of additional LNG terminals                      industry. As they say, Carpe Diem!
• The annual market for stationary and mobile batteries is expected
   to grow to $6 billion by 203085
84
     hhttps://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/india-renewable-energy
85
     https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/india-renewable-energy
 Be purposefully flexible in building the right blend of work models     Look at opportunities across industries and locations that hold
 and policies that are cognizant of physical and emotional               promising outcomes for the future – and invest in skilling yourself
 well-being of people                                                    to grasp them
 Establish positive learning experiences in terms of training and        Proactively put your hand up for opportunities that are nascent
 certifications, on-the-job experience and career progression            today, but hold promise for tomorrow
 Drive opportunities for internal upward mobility through                Be open to moving vertically and laterally — growth opportunities
 restructured talent management programs. This will earn employee        come from all directions
 trust to give out their best in performance
 Be confident of hiring junior level candidates, and skilling them to    Be smart in your choice of locations – as this report shows, tier-2
 meet your needs                                                         cities have become undeniable hotspots of career growth and
                                                                         opportunities
 Collaborate with academic institutions to design an industry-driven     As you gain in experience, be intelligently flexible to possibilities
 curriculum, and enhance employability of graduates stepping into        that can elevate you in the right industry at the right locations
 the corporate world
 Optimize technology investments to create value for both the            Keep an open mind in opting for location-agnostic models
 organization and to retain the right talent                             of work
disclaimer: Randstad has taken due care in compiling and processing the data available from various sources for the Randstad India Talent Insights 2024, but does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy or
completeness of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or action / decision taken or for the results obtained from the use of such information.
 media inquiries
 Manjulakshmi P
 manjulakshmi.p@randstad.in
 Arnab Ray
 arnab.ray@randstad.in
 research
 Dr. Smita Das
 smita.d@randstad.in
 Krithi Hegde
 krithi.hegde@randstad.in