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The heads of multi-billion dollar companies' salaries have soared massively as their responsibilities in navigating risks and making strategic decisions have become more significant amid the global uncertainties and competition for adoption of AI technology.

According to a report by Adweek, Microsoft's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Satya Nadella emerged as the highest-paid CEO in 2024. His compensation amounted to $79.1 million for 2024, comprising salary, bonuses, equity awards, and other compensation. Nadella's compensation is nearly five times more than the median CEO who runs a company listed in the S&P 500. Citing Equilar, the media report mentioned that the median salary is $16.4 million.

Additionally, Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook, along with Netflix's co-chief executive officer, Ted Sarandos, and Greg Peters, earned compensation above $60 million, well above the average for leaders in similar roles.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/itc-chairman-sanjiv-puri-draws-rs-26-66-crore-salary-in-fy25-employee-remuneration-up-5-72445.html">TCS yet to decide on salary hikes for employees amid economic uncertainty</a>

Cook's compensation was recorded $74,609,902, while Sarandos earned $61,922,397 and Peters $ 60,272,574 in 2024.

The annual compensation of David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros., stood at $51,918,563 in the same period. Disney's Bob Iger's compensation rose to $40,618,873, and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek salary rose to $667,308.

Notably, Disney's Bob Iger finished the year with the biggest gap. Iger earned 746 times the median Disney employee salary, followed by Cook with 650 times the median Apple employee salary, and Nadella with 408:1.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/campus-hiring-rebounds-in-fy25-with-a-3-91-salary-hike-15-budget-growth-and-rapid-ai-adoption-says-deloitte-report-68998.html">Campus hiring rebounds in FY25 with 3.91% salary hike, 15% budget growth, says Deloitte report</a>

Among the top-listed companies of S&P, the lowest gap in the median employee salary versus the CEO was reported at Alphabet Inc., CEO Sundar Pichai earned 32 times the median Alphabet employee salary. Pichai's annual compensation stood at $10,319,413 in 2024. A similar trend was seen in Amazon and Meta, wherein Andrew Jassy earned 43 times the median salary of an Amazon employee, and Zuckerberg earned 65 times the median salary of a Meta employee.

Global uncertainties drive up CEO compensation! From Satya Nadella to Tim Cook, here are top earners

DLF India chairman Rajiv Singh received a paycheck hike of 34% in the fiscal year 2025. According to the annual report of the real estate firm, Singh's annual remuneration surged to Rs 36.65 crore in FY25 compared to Rs 27.30 crore in the preceding fiscal year.

Of the total remuneration, Rs 35.53 crore was given in the form of commission to Singh, the company mentioned.

On the other hand, DLF's MDs Ashok Kumar Tyagi and Devinder Singh received an annual remuneration of Rs 14.16 crore each in fiscal 2025--a hike of 5% YoY. In FY24, DLF's MDs' annual pay package was Rs 13.52 crore each.

The variable pay component of MDs accounted for Rs 8.77 crore each of their total package.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/zomatos-deepinder-goyal-buys-rs-52-crore-apartment-at-the-camellias-in-gurugram-73871.html">Zomato’s Deepinder Goyal buys Rs 52 crore apartment at The Camellias in Gurugram</a>

DLF has approved commission or variable pay, comprising performances beyond targeted business parameters such as profit after tax, cashflows, money spent on construction and pre-sales, to Singh Tyagi and Devinder for FY25.

The property developer reported a 60.3% rise in its profit in fiscal year 2025. According to the company's data, the consolidated net profit increased from Rs 2,724 crore in FY24 to Rs 4,367 crore in FY25. Whereas, the company generated a total income of Rs 8,966 crore in FY25--up by 28.8% YoY.

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The total operating expenses (excluding finance costs, depreciation, and amortisation expenses) stood at Rs5,885 crore, and the consolidated EBITDA improved to Rs3,111 crore in the financial year 2025.

Notably, DLF Cyber City Developers Limited (DCCDL) reported a consolidated total income of Rs6,448 crore, clocking a 9% growth over the previous period, led by the rental growth in the office and retail portfolio. DCCDL’s consolidated EBITDA stood at Rs 4,949 crore in FY 2024-25 in comparison to Rs 4,478 crore in FY 2023-24. DLF's development business registered sales bookings of Rs 21,223 crore, with its super luxury offering - The Dahlias in DLF 5, Gurugram mopped up new sales bookings of Rs 13,744 crore. 


DLF mentioned that it has identified a pipeline of new products, totaling 2.60 million square meters (msm), or 28 million square feet, across the office and retail complexes that it intends to build over the medium term. It has targeted its rental revenue to surpass Rs 10,000 crore by the end of the medium term.

DLF India Chairman Rajiv Singh gets 34% pay hike to Rs 36.65 crore in FY25

Microsoft is now making AI proficiency a mandatory criterion in employee performance reviews, signaling the company's full-throttle push into artificial intelligence amid widespread job cuts.

As per reports by The Information and Business Insider, Microsoft has laid off over 15,000 employees across multiple business units in 2025 alone, with the latest wave affecting approximately 9,000 roles, particularly in the Xbox gaming and sales divisions. This comes after earlier job cuts in May and June, which included 6,000 and several hundred roles, respectively. Around 850 jobs were slashed in Washington state, the company’s home base.

While trimming its workforce, Microsoft is also ramping up its internal expectations around AI. Julia Liuson, president of the Developer Division, told managers that AI usage must now be factored into performance evaluations at all levels. In an internal memo, she emphasized that "using AI is no longer optional — it's core to every role."

This move is part of Microsoft’s strategy to drive deeper adoption of its AI-powered productivity tools, particularly Copilot. The company is reportedly exploring formal AI usage metrics as part of next fiscal year's performance reviews, potentially introducing specific benchmarks employees must meet.

Microsoft is also encouraging its remaining workforce to “invest in your own AI skilling”, highlighting a future where success and possibly job security may increasingly depend on how effectively employees leverage AI in their day-to-day roles.

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/microsoft-layoffs-xbox-executive-suggests-laid-off-workers-turn-to-chatgpt-for-career-advice-73139.htm">Microsoft layoffs: Xbox executive suggests laid-off workers turn to ChatGPT for career advice</a>

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/big-tech-layoffs-microsoft-to-lay-off-9000-people-in-bid-to-rein-in-costs-amid-ai-push-72756">Big Tech Layoffs: Microsoft to lay off 9,000 people in bid to rein in costs amid AI push</a>

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/2025-tech-layoffs-microsoft-google-linkedin-among-companies-cutting-thousands-of-jobs-69203.htm">2025 tech layoffs: Microsoft, Google, LinkedIn among companies cutting thousands of jobs</a>

Microsoft tightens focus on AI proficiency amid mass layoffs; says "AI is core to every role"

Job search platforms Glassdoor and Indeed have joined the wave of AI-driven job cuts. According to a report by Reuters news agency, Recruit Holdings, the parent firm of Indeed and Glassdoor, will be slashing 1,300 jobs across the two portals due to the adoption of AI in their daily operations.

The job cuts represent about 6% of the total workforce in the Japanese recruitment platform. 

As per the Reuters report, the company has offered pink slips to employees from the research & development, growth, people, and sustainability teams. 

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/intel-to-cut-over-500-jobs-in-oregon-as-layoffs-expand-nationwide-73655.html">Intel to cut over 500 jobs in Oregon as layoffs expand nationwide</a>

In an internal memo to employees, Recuit CEO Hisayuki "Debo" Idekoba said, "Ad is changing the world and we must adapt by ensuring our product delivers truly great experiences for job seekers and employers".

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/days-after-axing-thousands-of-jobs-microsoft-says-ai-helped-save-over-500-million-73731.html">Days after axing thousands of jobs, Microsoft says AI helped save over $500 million</a>

Further, Recruit will also reportedly merge Glassdoor operations into Indeed. Consequently, Glassdoor CEO Christian Sutherland-Wong will exit the company with effect from 1 October 2025. Moreover, Indeed's LaFawn Davis, who is the chief people and sustainability officer, will also step down from his position with effect from 1 September. Davis will be succeeded by Ayano Senaha, chief operating officer of Recruit.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/microsoft-planning-to-cut-thousands-more-jobs-targeting-sales-teams-71019.html">Microsoft planning to cut thousands more jobs, targeting sales teams</a>

Japanese firm Recruit acquired Indeed in 2021 and Glassdoor in 2018. As per a Reuters report, the company has an overall headcount of 20,000 employees in the HR technology business unit.

Last year, Indeed announced it would eliminate 1,000 of its staff following the job cut of about 2,200 in the previous year.

Recruit Holdings cuts 6% of workforce at Glassdoor, Indeed amid AI integration

Software service giant TCS, which released its quarter 1 results for the fiscal year 2025, is yet to decide on salary hikes for its employees as global macroeconomic uncertainties have intensified. 


Tata Consultancy Services' Chief Human Resources Officer, Milind Lakkad, said, "We have not made any decision so far on wage hikes. We will let you know as soon as we do".

The CHRO added that he will share an update on the timing and quantity of the hike when the situation improves. 

TCS has temporarily paused salary hikes, primarily due to the US tariff war. The company is expecting clarity on the global economic environment once more countries start signing bilateral trade deals with the US.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/tcs-attrition-rate-holds-steady-at-13-8-in-q1-fy26-headcount-stands-at-613069-73845.html">TCS attrition rate holds steady at 13.8% in Q1 FY26, headcount stands at 613,069</a>


Moreover, TCS is also finding it difficult to immediately absorb the 42,000 freshers it recruited last year. However, Lakkad said the company will honour the offers, and added, "How many and when they will come will depend on the business situation".

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/tcs-top-executives-annual-increment-plunges-by-over-50-in-5-years-67673.html">TCS top executives annual increment plunges by over 50% in 5 years</a>

For the current fiscal year 2026, TCS has targeted to hire 40,000 engineering graduates until now. The targets may fluctuate depending on the business performance.

TCS added 5,090 employees during the Q1 FY26, taking the total headcount to 613,069. Attrition of the company escalated to 13.8% in the last 12-month period. Last year, the attrition of the company was 12.1 percent.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/tcs-cuts-ad-and-marketing-expenses-ramps-up-genai-tech-to-boost-brand-visiblity-67591.html">TCS cuts ad and marketing expenses, ramps up GenAI tech to boost brand visiblity</a>

According to the stock exchange filing, TCS's profit soared to Rs 12,760 crore during the April-June quarter--an increase of 6 percent year-on-year in fiscal year 2026. Moreover, the total revenue witnessed a marginal rise of 1.31% to Rs 63,437 crore in Q1 FY26. In the previous fiscal in Q1, TCS clocked a total income of Rs 62,613 crore.

The banking and financial services segment revenue stood at Rs 24,736 crore, followed by consumer business at Rs 10,155 crore, Communication, Media & Technology at Rs 9,436 crore, and Manufacturing at Rs 6,401 crore, respectively.

Notably, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data unit delivered robust growth during the June quarter of FY26. "Demand was led by AI-led transformation, SDLC/IT-Ops automation, and data-platform modernization," TCS said in its Q1 FY26 report.

TCS yet to decide on salary hikes for employees amid economic uncertainty

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Thursday announced its Quarter 1 results for the fiscal year 2025. The IT services firm reported a 13.8 percent attrition rate over the last twelve months in the quarter ended on June 30, 2025, slightly higher than the 13.8 percent recorded in Q4 of FY25.

The software giant's workforce strength stood at 613,069, with 6,071 employees added in Q1.

According to the stock exchange filing, TCS's profit soared to Rs 12,760 crore during the April-June quarter--an increase of 6 percent year-on-year in fiscal year 2026. Moreover, the total revenue witnessed a marginal rise of 1.31% to Rs 63,437 crore in Q1 FY26. In the previous fiscal in Q1, TCS clocked a total income of Rs 62,613 crore.

The banking and financial services segment revenue stood at Rs 24,736 crore, followed by consumer business at Rs 10,155 crore, Communication, Media & Technology at Rs 9,436 crore, and Manufacturing at Rs 6,401 crore, respectively.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/tcs-cuts-ad-and-marketing-expenses-ramps-up-genai-tech-to-boost-brand-visiblity-67591.html">TCS attrition rate holds steady at 13.8% in Q1 FY26, headcount stands at 613,069</a>

TCS' Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, K Krithivasan, mentioned that all services witnessed growth during the quarter despite the global macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties.

Notably, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data unit delivered robust growth during the June quarter of FY26. "Demand was led by AI-led transformation, SDLC/IT-Ops automation, and data-platform modernization," TCS said in its Q1 FY26 report.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/tcs-top-executives-annual-increment-plunges-by-over-50-in-5-years-67673.html">TCS top executives annual increment plunges by over 50% in 5 years</a>

"We are investing across the AI ecosystem, including infrastructure, data platform solutions, AI agents, and business applications. Launching TCS SovereignSecureTM Cloud, TCS DigiBOLTTM, and TCS Cyber Defense Suite, to accelerate India’s AI-led transformation, was a particular highlight of this quarter," Aarthi Subramanian, Executive Director - President and Chief Operating Officer, said.

Besides AI, the growth for the quarter was led by TCS Interactive and Cyber Security, the filing added. TCS Interactive is a business focused on operational excellence and innovation.

"We continued our investments in long-term sustainable growth this quarter. We stayed agile and adapted to the dynamic environment, delivering steady margins. Our industry-leading profitability alongside robust cash conversion positions us well to make strategic investments for the future," according to TCS' Chief Financial Officer Samir Seksaria said.

TCS attrition rate holds steady at 13.8% in Q1 FY26, headcount stands at 613,069

India's job sector is undergoing a major transformation, with excessive dependencies on Artificial Intelligence by freshers becoming a complex challenge for recruiters in the country. The AI era has become a double-edged sword for companies--while productivity has improved, over-reliance on AI technology has impacted employees' critical thinking, originality, and problem-solving traits. 

Last month, US-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) revealed shocking details about people who use OpenAI's ChatGPT tool significantly in their routine. The study concluded that ChatGPT users have lower brain engagement and consistently "underperformed" at the neural, linguistic, and behavioural level. Notably, Mary Meeker's research on AI usage trends discovered that India tops the chart with the highest ChatGPT mobile app users globally, at 14 percent.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/hiring-activity-jumps-11-in-june-freshers-see-double-digit-growth-naukri-jobspeak-72719.html">Hiring activity jumps 11% in June, freshers see double-digit growth: Naukri JobSpeak</a>

Mita Brahma, HR Head at NIIT, said that employees' over-dependency on AI is a massive threat for recruiters that is looming in the job sector currently. "Employees' foundational cognitive and collaborative skills are not developed due to AI dependencies," she added, "This can lead to tech-dependent superficial capabilities that don’t translate into real-world performance".

'Rise of flashy resumes'

Arindam Mukherjee, co-founder of the skilling platform NextLeap, said he has observed a surge in fake resumes that are ATS-compliant and do not give a true picture of the candidate's real skills.

"AI agents can now apply for jobs on your behalf. AI resume builders can make your resume look like you are the best candidate, AI tools can complete the take-home assignment in minutes, and AI interview co-pilots can run in the background, assisting you in your virtual interview".

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/govt-approves-employment-linked-incentive-scheme-disburses-rs-99446-crore-for-job-creation-72642.html">Govt approves Employment Linked Incentive scheme, disburses Rs 99,446 crore for job creation</a>

Anil Ethanur, Co-founder, Xpheno - a specialist staffing firm, underscored that enterprises are not just facing a challenge of 'wrong hires', but also 'wrong drops' in the AI-era. Ethanur said that there are a lot of ‘false positives’ candidates in the AI ecosystem, who are disguised as 'ideal fit' employees. "The noise of and from AI-enhanced resumes is a significant dilution of the quality of recruitment processes and also causes cost-time-&-resource wastage for employers," according to Ethanur. Besides, AI tools have also been noted to cause 'false negatives' where candidates with a good fit get wrongly knocked out as low fits.  "The chances enterprises incurring higher costs of 'wrong hires' are much higher in the current stage of the AI era," he added.

Pranay Kale, Chief Revenue & Growth Officer, foundit, said that AI tools like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and AI-enhanced resume builders have become second nature to younger job seekers. Therefore, Kale said that, "The Line between AI-assisted performance and actual capability is becoming increasingly blurred".

'Affected sectors'

While AI has crossed industries and functions, experts told Storyboard18 that sectors where creativity and judgment are central should be cautious when they onboard a new employee, particularly with 0-5 years of experience, into their organization. For instance, fields where content creation is a key task – research and development, publishing, media, advertisement, and journalism- should select the candidates carefully, Brahma said. 

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/digital/ai-does-up-to-50-of-the-job-at-salesforce-says-ceo-marc-benioff-72078.html">Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff on how AI does up to 50% of the job at the company</a>

"In these fields, an overdependence on generative AI tools like ChatGPT without domain depth can lead to poor judgment, flawed insights, or even compliance risks. Hence, hiring in these sectors must include rigorous domain-specific assessments, ethical reasoning tests, and real-world simulations," she said.

According to TeamLease EdTech's founder and CEO, Shantanu Rooj, industries that rely heavily on analytical thinking, ethical reasoning, and real-time problem-solving must be more deliberate and rigorous during hiring. Sectors such as consulting, financial services, legal advisory, and research demand professionals who can interpret nuance, deal with ambiguity, and make judgment calls based on context - all areas where AI currently falls short. Rooj added that education sector can also take a hit if the recruitment of teachers is not done correctly. "Teachers and professors who are overly dependent on AI tools risk diluting the learning experience rather than enriching it". 

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/digital/ai-now-writes-25-of-code-at-amazon-microsoft-tech-jobs-massively-affected-71527.html">AI now writes 25% of code at Amazon, Microsoft, tech jobs massively affected</a>

Experts unanimously agreed that the hiring process should measure independent cognition, contextual reasoning, and original problem-solving skills that AI alone cannot supply when hiring a professional.

Dr Sangeeta Chhabra, Co-Founder & Executive Director, AceCloud, added, "leaders must go beyond assessing technical expertise and focus on attributes such as problem solving, adaptability, and the ability to collaborate effectively with intelligent systems to filter the right talent".

Ankit Aggarwal, founder & CEO of Unstop, suggested that founders look beyond the resumes and give students real-time problems from solving different brands to help them showcase their ideas and problem-solving abilities.

Aggarwal said that "hackathons, coding challenges, case study competitions, quizzes," can help in testing the real skills of the employees. 

'Dangers of over-reliance on AI'

According to Kale, the automation bias could contribute to structural unemployment and skill atrophy in certain sectors. Kale says that AI may erode critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity, especially among early-career professionals. "If individuals lean too heavily on AI to automate outputs or make decisions without understanding the 'why' behind them, we risk developing a workforce that is skilled in using tools but lacks foundational cognitive depth," Kale argued.

In contrast, Ethanur said that AI addiction will not lead to higher unemployment rates. He projected that a significant change in the job market will be driven by the mainstream arrival of AI in low to mid-cognitive functions. "The phase when this redefinition happens on a large scale will have to coincide with the arrival of sufficient AI-enabled and AI-dependent talent pools into mainstream employment".

Rooj upheld that the next decade will not be defined by AI replacing people but by people who can meaningfully work with AI. For instance, roles like "prompt engineering, AI oversight, ethical data governance, and human-AI interface management" will gain traction.

"AI should empower, not diminish, the human edge, and it’s up to all of us to ensure we strike that balance," Chhabra noted.

The AI-generated illusion: Employers struggle to identify real candidates

In the fresh round of layoffs at Microsoft, 830 employees were from the company's home state of Washington. According to a report by CNBC.com, Microsoft laid off nearly a dozen game design workers, along with three audio designers, two mechanical engineers, one optical engineer, and one lab technician.

Additionally, the company sacked five individual contributors and one manager at the Microsoft Research division, six hardware engineers, and 10 lawyers. The company parted ways with 16 customer success account management staff members from the sales team in Washington, 28 from the sales strategy, and five from the sales compensation. The tech firm also eliminated 17 jobs in cloud solution architecture in the state. 

This week, Microsoft announced mass layoffs, eliminating 9,000 workers, that is 4% of its global workforce, to eliminate redundancy and encourage employees to focus on meaningful work. According to a report by Bloomberg News, the company's Barcelona-based King division, which makes Candy Crush, laid off 200 employees--10% of its staff in July 2025. The staff from Microsoft's gaming division, which is Xbox, has been impacted the most by layoffs. 

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/big-tech-layoffs-microsoft-to-lay-off-9000-people-in-bid-to-rein-in-costs-amid-ai-push-72756.html">Big Tech Layoffs: Microsoft to lay off 9,000 people in bid to rein in costs amid AI push</a>

The gaming division has been under pressure from the management to boost profit margins since it purchased Activision Blizzard for $69 billion in October 2023.

In May, the company laid off 3% of its workforce, that is nearly 6,000 employees across all teams and geographies.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/2025-tech-layoffs-microsoft-google-linkedin-among-companies-cutting-thousands-of-jobs-69203.html">2025 tech layoffs: Microsoft, Google, LinkedIn among companies cutting thousands of jobs</a>

Microsoft had 228,000 workers at the end of June 2024, of whom 45,000 were from the sales and marketing departments.

Microsoft often restructures teams and announces other changes near the end of its fiscal year, which closes in June.

In 2023, the company laid off 10,000 employees across geographies. According to Layoffs.fyi, a total of 72,908 tech employees have been laid off in 2025 to date.

Microsoft lays off 830 employees in home state of Washington

Hiring activity witnessed a sharp boost in the majority of the sectors in June, with recruitment by the IT sector turning positive after a muted spell, according to the Naukri JobSpeak Index. 


Hiring in the advertising/PR/Events increased by 22% in the same period, while the Media & Entertainment sector clocked 16% recruitment in the same month.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/it-hiring-soars-by-53-in-tier-2-cities-in-june-2025-demand-surges-for-ai-ml-specialists-72713.html">IT hiring soars by 53% in Tier-2 cities in June 2025; Demand surges for AI-ML specialists</a>

Fresher hiring saw a double-digit jump as the white-collar job market grew 11% in June. Among the major sectors, hiring activity increased in the insurance sector by 32% in June 2025, followed by Hospitality by 21%, and BPOs by 19%, respectively.


The monthly job index underscored a robust hiring trend by Indian unicorns with a 30% rise. On the other hand, recruitment in the insurance sector surged by 32%, driven by an increase in fresher hiring at 59%.

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Pune, Bengaluru, and Chennai remained the key hubs for startups hiring activity at 22%, 32% and 21%, respectively. 


Among the major Indian cities, Coimbatore has emerged as the fresher hiring hub in June, registering a 24% surge in fresher recruitment. 

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"What stood out in June was the sharp pickup in hiring across core service sectors like Hospitality and BPO/ITES. It was also encouraging to see IT hiring turn positive after a muted spell, especially with strong demand emerging from tier-II cities. Fresher hiring in non-tech sectors continues to gain traction, reflecting expanding opportunities for young professionals," Dr. Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer, Naukri said.

Hiring activity jumps 11% in June, freshers see double-digit growth: Naukri JobSpeak

Hiring in the tech sector has accelerated in India's Tier-2 cities, buoyed by expanding industries and investments in June 2025. According to a report by talent platform foundit, the hiring activity in the Tier-2 cities has also outpaced the national average significantly. 

Overall hiring in the country grew by 20% in June 2025, but in Tier-2 cities, the recruitment increased by 28% year-on-year, the job platform mentioned.

The IT industry hiring jumped by 53% YoY, far ahead of the national average of 30%, followed by Logistics & Transportation (42%) and Energy (38%) sectors.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/govt-approves-employment-linked-incentive-scheme-disburses-rs-99446-crore-for-job-creation-72642.html">Govt approves Employment Linked Incentive scheme, disburses Rs 99,446 crore for job creation</a>

On Month-on-Month basis, IT roles surged by 12%, driven by demand for developers and AI/ML specialists.

While IT remains the top growth driver, other support and operational roles have gained traction as companies scale core and enabling teams beyond metros. Hiring for marketing & communications job roles stood at 24%, sales and business development at 28%, and HR and admin roles at 31% in smaller cities, respectively.

On a month-on-month basis, consumer-facing sectors and tech roles saw notable momentum. Retail led all industries with a 10% MoM rise, driven by festive prep and expansion across Tier-2 markets. 

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/from-intel-to-bumble-mass-layoffs-continue-in-june-with-over-10000-jobs-to-go-71913.html">From Intel to Bumble, mass layoffs continue in June, with over 10,000 jobs to go</a>

Among the Tier-2 cities, Coimbatore (at 26% YoY), Nagpur (24%), and Nasik (24%) led in Tier-2 hiring, driven by IT, Banking and Financial, Manufacturing, and FMCG sectors.

"For employers, these cities offer strategic opportunities for sustained growth, driven by improved infrastructure, targeted investments, and the strategic intent to diversify geographically. This growth, the strongest we've seen in recent years, clearly underlines Tier-2 cities' increasing importance in India's employment landscape," said Pranay Kale, Chief Revenue & Growth Officer (CRGO) of foundit.

In contrast, the hiring trend in Tier-1 cities such as Delhi-NCR (+5% YoY), Chennai (+18%), and Bengaluru (+16%) remained lower than their Tier-2 counterparts. 

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Freshers hiring, with 0-3 years of experience, accounted for 61% of Tier-2 job postings, fuelled by sectors like IT, retail, logistics, and BFSI. 

Healthcare, education, and manufacturing sectors recruited majorly mid-level talent with 4-9 years of experience from Tier-2 cities. Senior-level hiring primarily happened in telecom, energy, and healthcare sectors in non-metro cities in June 2025.

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