India&rsquo;s smaller cities are emerging as key drivers of the country&rsquo;s job market, with tier II and III cities seeing a 21% year-on-year rise in hiring in September &mdash; surpassing growth in major metros, according to the foundit Insights Tracker (fit) report released on Monday.
Cities including Jaipur, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Indore, Bhubaneswar, Kochi, Surat, Nagpur, and Chandigarh reported the strongest hiring momentum, boosted by expansion in e-commerce warehousing, retail, customer support centres, and festive tourism.
Overall, India&rsquo;s hiring activity increased 17% year-on-year and 4% month-on-month, indicating steady recruitment beyond seasonal demand.
&ldquo;September&rsquo;s hiring reflects a strong mix of festive demand and the structural rise of tier II and III cities as long-term talent hubs,&rdquo; said Anupama Bhimrajka, VP of Marketing at foundit. 
&ldquo;Non-metro regions are leading growth, showing a decentralised and resilient job market.&rdquo;
Metro cities such as Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and Kolkata recorded 14% annual hiring growth, mainly in IT, BFSI, and Media &amp; Entertainment, with rising demand for technology, finance, and marketing professionals.
By function, Sales and Marketing roles led with a 5% annual increase, followed by Customer Support and Operations (4%). 
Creative and Media hiring also rose 4%, driven by campaigns and OTT projects, while Technology and Product roles remained steady at 3%.
The foundit Insights Tracker, previously the Monster Employment Index, tracks monthly online hiring trends across sectors and cities in India.

Busy office with professionals working on computers

Tier II and III cities drive 21% hiring surge, outpacing major metros in September

Tier II, III Cities Lead India Hiring Boom

Tier II and III cities drive 21% hiring surge, outpacing major metros in September

October 7, 2025 | 10:48 IST