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Job platform Naukri has revealed a robust trend in hiring in May this year, led by accounting and finance, Gems & Jewellery, and Media & Entertainment industries.

The hiring in the gems & jewellery secto increased by 25% while in accounting/ Finance it rose by 20% in May 2025 on a year-on-year basis.

Additionally, the hiring sector also remained positive in Media& Industry sector at 18% in the same duration. 

According to the Naukri JobSpeak May 2025 report, white-collar hiring remained stable with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learnings (AI/ML) roles (25%) most in demand across industries, alongside senior professionals.

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Moreover, sentiments for freshers hiring also remained strong in the non-IT sector, especially the media, insurance, and real estate sectors.

Notably, job sentiments in the IT sector remained subdued with 5% de-growth in hiring in May 2025. The animation sector was the biggest hit with a 25% drop in hiring in May this year, followed by the recruitment industry at 19%.

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Among cities, Hyderabad and Kochi witnessed 7% and 8% growth respectively, majorly driven by senior-level hiring with employees above 16 years of experience.

Pune also witnessed a surge in hiring at 4%, with a sharp rise in startups hiring at 26%.

Naukri's Chief Business Officer, Dr Pawan Goyal said, "In an otherwise stable job market, what stood out in May was the continued momentum in AI/ML hiring across metros alongside steady demand for senior professionals. It is also interesting to witness fresher hiring gain ground in non-tech industries which modes well for young talent".

Media & Entertainment sector sees 18% hiring surge in May: Naukri

A significant number of employers have expressed confidence in the potential of fresh talent across industries in the second half (July-December) of the current calendar year, as per a study by TeamLease EdTech, a learning and employability solutions provider. 72% of employers surveyed across India intend to hire freshers during July-December 2024, the report revealed.

For instance, the 'Hiring Intent' by the e-commerce & technology startups has increased from 55% (January-June 2024) to 61% in (July to December 2024). The other industries that intend to hire freshers in the second half of 2024 are engineering & infrastructure (59%), retail (54%), and manufacturing (52%) respectively, according to 'Career Outlook Report HY2 (July-December 2024)' by TeamLease EdTech.

The hiring outlook for freshers in the marketing and advertising industry has increased to 9% in the second half of 2024 from 6% between January and June.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/entertainment-industry-witnesses-spike-in-jobs-as-otts-originals-boom-38341.htm">Entertainment industry witnesses spike in jobs as OTTs' 'Originals' boom</a>

"From July to December 2024, the hiring intent for freshers has shown a promising increase to 72%, up from 68% in the first half of the year. This surge reflects a growing confidence among employers in the potential of fresh talent to contribute effectively to their organizations," Shantanu Rooj, founder and CEO of TeamLease EdTech said.

However, the 'intent to hire freshers' in the media & entertainment industry has declined from 18% (January-June 2024) to 15% (July-December 2024) as per the TeamLease EdTech report. The intent to hire has also declined in the telecom sector to 48% in HY2 2024 from 50% in HY1 of the current calendar year.

'Hiring trend in Media and advertisement industry'

TeamLease EdTech report underscored some key job roles that employers are looking to hire freshers are content marketing assistant, social media marketing assistant, business associate, graphic designer, and animator, respectively in the media & entertainment industry.

The highest demand for 'graphic designer' is in Chennai at 23% and for 'content marketing assistant' role in Mumbai at 20%. The hiring intent animator job profile is predominantly in Bengaluru at 19%, the report added.


In the marketing and advertising industry, employers may hire freshers for sound engineer job roles, market research assistants, brand marketing executives, SEO executives, and junior social media specialists among others. 


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Among the cities, the highest demand for junior social media specialist is in Delhi (10%), followed by Coimbatore (8%) and Ahmedabad (5%), respectively.

For SEO executives, the highest demand is in Pune at 11%, for market research assistants in Mumbai at 13%, and for sound engineer in Bengaluru at 16%.

To increase the prospect of employability, the most in-demand courses in the ad and media industry are the advanced certificate in digital marketing and communication, graphic design specialization, soft skills and personality development, and product management certification program.

Employers bullish on fresh talent: 72% to hire freshers in H2 2024, says report

The Over-the-top (OTT) platforms have emerged as a significant contributor to employment generation in the country. In 2023 alone, the online video industry generated 174,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to 'Beyond Screens: Streaming VOD's Impact on India's Creative Economy' by Media Partners Asia (MPA).

Online video services have witnessed an exponential rise in the past decade. There has been a five-fold increase in online video platforms since 2015. Currently, India boasts close to 60 premium online video services, according to the report.

The growth and expansion of the OTT platforms have led to an uptick in investments in original content production, which has helped provide an economic boost to the creative economy as well as ancillary industries.

More than 1,500 original content titles were released across all OTT video platforms in the country between 2016 and 2023, comprising over 500 direct-to-streaming movies and 1,000 original series. The surge in content has resulted in substantial employment opportunities for professionals within the domestic creative economy.

'Jobs in producing local movies'

The average total number of jobs per project in producing a local movie is in the range of 365-415, including both direct and indirect employment. The predominant direct job roles in producing local movies are- Cast and Creative, Production, Sound and Camera, Electric and Lightning, Art and Design, and Hair & Makeup. The indirect job roles comprise- transportation, Catering, Hospitality, marketing & Publicity, Music, Dubbing & Sound, Streaming & Distribution, Post-production, VFX, Legal, Finance & Insurance, etc.

'Jobs in producing local web series'

As per the MPA analysis, around 345-400 people are hired (on direct and indirect employment) for a web series project locally. The majority of the direct jobs are in the cast and creative field, followed by Art & Design, Electric & Lighting, Sound & Camera, and Production. Notably, each project has resulted in creation of the one additional indirect job for every direct job generated.

According to MPA, the OTT industry is expected to generate around 280,000 job openings (direct and indirect) by 2028. Moreover, with the growing demand in allied sectors such as VFX, animation, subtitling, and dubbing, the hiring may scale up to 330,000 by 2028, the report projected.

'Jobs for women in OTT'

Historically, there was under-representation of women in the entertainment industry, such as insufficient screen time and limited substantive roles. However, with the advent of the OTT platforms, women's talent is getting due share. OTT platforms have recognized the role of women writers and launched a concerted effort to create a comprehensive database of female professionals, including editors, cinematographers, production designers, etc.

There has been a rise in women directors between 2017-2023. The number of titles with women directors has increased from 2 (2017) to 22 (2023) across the six streaming platforms- Disney+Hotsar, Netflix, Prime Video, Zee5, Voot/Jio Cinema, and SonyLiv as per the MPA analysis.

Entertainment industry witnesses spike in jobs as OTTs' 'Originals' boom

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her seventh consecutive Union Budget in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The issue of employment remained the key focus of FM's speech. The Union government allocated Rs 1.48 lakh crore for employment, education, and skilling. 

FM Sitharaman announced three schemes for employment-linked incentives as part of the Prime Minister's package today.


The FM said the scheme would be based on the enrolment of the EPFO and focus on recognition of the "first-time employees and support to employees and employers".


Scheme A comprises 'freshers' under which the first time employees would get one month's wage in all formal sectors. The FM said incentives would benefit 30 lakh youth entering the job market by providing one monthly PF contribution.

"Will provide one month's wages to all persons newly entering the workplace in all formal sectors. Direct Benefit Transfer of one month's salary in 3 installments to first-time employees as registered in the EPFO will be up to Rs 15,000. The eligibility limit will be a salary of Rs 1 lakh per month. The scheme will benefit 210 lakh youth," FM Sitharaman said.

“Jobs has to be at the core of economic growth. It is glad to see jobs, skills and education at the core of the Budget speech. Translating the allocation and new initiatives into action, making it demand driven, not supply driven can only ensure success of this intent," Nilaya Varma, Co-Founder and CEO at Primus Partners said.

Under the Scheme B, the FM announced job opportunities in the manufacturing sector. The FM said that incentives will be provided directly to employees and employers as per the EPFO contribution in the first four years of employment. 

"I am glad to see Budget 2024's focus on youth employment and skilling. The Rs 2 lakh crore allocation for employment schemes is the beginning to a brighter future. The incentives for job creation and the plan to skill 20 lakh youth over five years is what we needed.The support for higher education loans and the push for women in the workforce is also a big plus," Ankit Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of Unstop said.

Sashi Kumar, Head of Sales at Indeed called special incentives for first-time manufacturing employees and employers "promising", and added, "The government's plans to enhance skills, improve infrastructure, and support entrepreneurs are crucial steps to boost job opportunities and the economy".

Further, boosting the employment opportunities for freshers, the FM said internships will be provided to one crore youths in 500 top companies in five years under PM's packages. The stipend of the internship would be Rs 5000 monthly. 

"The outlay provided for employment and skilling will help our youth from two perspectives - education and skilling loans will bring more students to the education fold thereby increasing the gross enrolment ratio (a move towards achieving 50% target by 2035)…..second, it will help prepare our youth with skills relevant for industry needs, thereby adding to the productive workforce needs of today and tomorrow," Sahil Gupta, Partner, Deloitte India said.

Ramesh Alluri Reddy, CEO at TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship welcome FM's initiative on internship. "The move will bridge the gap between theoretical education and real-world application, making graduates more job-ready".

Under Scheme C, the FM announced reimbursement to employers up to Rs 3,000 per month for two years towards their EPFO contribution for each additional employee. 

On job creation for the manufacturing sector, Aamar Deo Singh, Sr. Vice President of Research, Angel One said, "This initiative will reimburse employers up to Rs 3,000 per month for two years towards EPFO contributions for each additional employee, aiming to incentivize the additional employment of 50 lakh people".

Union budget 2024: FM Sitharaman announces three schemes to boost employment

Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has multiple openings for the post of 'Marketing executive' across the country. As per the official circular by Prasar Bharati, the job contract would be for two years. Anyone below 35 years of age can apply for the job, the circular mentioned.


Prasar Bharati recruitment 2024: Marketing Executive jobs


The job openings are in Jalandhar, Thiruvananthapuram, Raipur, Chennai, Vijawada, Bhubaneshwar, Ranchi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Cuttack, Kolkata, Mumbai, Patna, Kodaikanal, and Bhopal.

The number of openings in each of these cities is for one person only. 


Prasar Bharati recruitment 2024: Remuneration

The public broadcasting company said that the consolidated remuneration would be between Rs 35,000 to Rs 42,000 per month.


Prasar Bharati recruitment 2024: Education and experience


For Marketing Executive jobs, an individual should have completed an MBA or MBA in marketing or a PG Diploma in Marketing from a recognized institution.

The applicant should have at least one year of experience in direct sales.

Prasar Bharati recruitment 2024: Key responsibilities

The primary responsibilities would be for direct sales revenue for DD/AIR for respective geographic locations. The selected candidate will have to participate in exhibitions or conferences as part of sales initiatives and collaborate with teams to achieve targets.

Separately, Prasar Bharati is gearing up to launch its own video streaming platform.

Prasar Bharati jobs: 15 openings for 'Marketing executive'; Check salary, roles and responsibilities

The placement season for the 2023-24 batch is set to be completed by July-end across all mass communication institutes but the daunting number of unplaced students and low remuneration highlight the grim reality of the job market in the media and entertainment industry. In the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), of around 500 students, roughly 160 students got jobs during the 21-day placement cycle across its six campuses this year, students told Storyboard18, requesting anonymity.

 

A journalism student said that only a handful of mainstream media companies participated during the placement cycle in IIMC Delhi, while the major recruiters were from the advertisement and PR industry. Another aggrieved student from IIMC, who got the job off campus said the salary packages are so low that they are not keeping up with inflation.

 

"The packages for Hindi media students are lower than (those of) English media. For Hindi media, freshers are being offered around Rs 3.5 lakh LPA on an average, while English media offers between Rs 4.8 lakh and Rs 5 lakh LPA plus bonus," the student said.

 

Most students who want to pursue journalism as their career said they were not relying on campus placements but reaching out to the networks that they built during the internship period. This year, IIMC mandated its students to complete a one-month internship before sitting for the campus placement, starting on June 5.

 

According to specialist staffing firm Xpheno, 187 students from IIMC got jobs during campus placements in 2021, with an average package of Rs 4.5 lakh. At that time, the highest package was Rs 8.5 lakh. In 2022, as many as 320 students earned full-time jobs on an average package of Rs 4 lakh. 


On the other hand, this year, news agency company Reuters hired five people for its Bengaluru office with an annual package of Rs 6 lakh, an IIMC student, who wished not to reveal his identity, told Storyboard18. Notably, Prasar Bharati took the lead in the recruitment process in the government-run institute. The public broadcaster, headquartered in New Delhi, hired 50 students for a year’s internship, offering Rs 25,000 monthly.

 
An educator said that students appearing during the placement cycle in IIMC have declined in the past two years as the companies have reduced their CTCs. According to data from talent platform foundit, the average minimum package in the media and entertainment industry for freshers has declined by 11.17 percent from Rs 4.6 lakh 2021 to Rs 4.08 lakh in 2024. The average maximum remuneration also saw a dip of nine percent from Rs 7.47 lakh in 2021 to Rs 6.79 lakh in 2024. On the other hand, the average minimum freshers packages in the advertisement, PR, MR, and event management have seen a marginal rise of 7.6 percent from Rs 3.32 lakh of LPA in 2021 to Rs 3.58 lakh of LPA.


[caption id="attachment_37079" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2024/07/data-image-2024-07-e476047217684017179f38b65e052907-300x169.jpg" alt="Data by talent platform foundit" width="300" height="169" class="size-medium wp-image-37079" /> Data by talent platform foundit[/caption]


Shantanu Rooj, Founder and CEO of TeamLease Edtech said that the media industry is currently experiencing a period of consolidation, where companies are reassessing their business models and operational efficiencies in response to evolving consumer behaviours. Such realignments often result in a "temporary slowdown in hiring".

 

Additionally, Rooj said, "Economic uncertainties and budget constraints have also played a role, leading to cautious hiring practices. The impact of generative AI and automation has further altered job roles, which has contributed to the cautious hiring approach".

 

A student from Amity University told Storyboard18 that out of the 300 graduates, around 40 people were hired by media organisations but for sales and marketing roles.

 

Dr Charulata Singh, Dean at Vivekananda School of Journalism and Mass Communication, explained the changes in the job landscape in the media industry. She said, "The jobs such as reporting, and TV anchoring in mainstream media are gradually diminishing and companies are hiring for content writing roles, PR and communications, marketing, and social media manager among others".

 

Professor Kalyan Arun, Placement coordinator at the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), acknowledged the gradual decline in campus placements in all top bellwether media institutes. However, the professor said that over 95 percent of ACJ students got full-time jobs during this year's placement cycle and more interviews are scheduled in the coming days. The placement cycle started in the last week of April and concluded in the second half of May. "Mainstream media organisations such as The Hindu, The New Indian Express, Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, and others visited our campus and hired a minimum of 10 people and a maximum of 25 people. I am sure by July-end, we will achieve 100 percent placements this year". The students in ACJ were offered between Rs 5 lakh to 6 lakh LPA this time, Arun added.

 

Dr Charulata recommended that students should be equipped with writing and production skills as several job roles may get merged in the future. "One should be good in writing content, as well as, understand camera handling and editing videos for long-term success," the professor added.

 

Rooj from TeamLease Edtech also said that upskilling is paramount in the media industry to keep pace with rapid technological advancements and changing consumer preferences. "Key areas for upskilling include digital content creation, data analytics, AI-driven content personalisation, and social media strategy," Rooj added. For Rooj, the outlook for the media industry in the second half of 2024 (July-December) appeared cautiously optimistic, particularly for roles that blend creativity with technological proficiency.

 
Sekhar Garisa, CEO of foundit said that there is a growing emphasis on data-driven decision-making in the media sector. This shift is creating numerous opportunities for graduates who possess skills in media analytics and market research. "There is an increasing demand for professionals skilled in digital marketing, social media management, content creation, and video production," Garisa added.

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