The IT and recruitment/staffing industries reported the largest share of job posting for freshers, with over 32 per cent and 12 per cent of positions respectively aimed at entry-level professionals, according to a study by Foundit, a talent platform. The demand for freshers has grown by 5 per cent in the past six months.
The report indicates that IT companies in the hardware and software sectors are inclining towards hiring freshers.
Start-ups in the IT services and internet sectors are at the forefront of hiring freshers, with 23 per cent and 22 per cent of positions targeting new graduates. Although IT industry jobs declined in the last quarter, engineering graduates are sought for 28 per cent of start-up positions. Start-ups are hiring for roles such as consultants (10 per cent), sales/exec managers (4 per cent ) and operations exec/managers (4 per cent).
Metros top
The report indicated that Delhi/NCR (21 per cent ) hosts the highest share of job postings for freshers, followed by Bengaluru (14 per cent). Fresher hiring was highest in metropolitan cities in India. Mumbai (8 per cent), Chennai (8 per cent), Pune (8 per cent) and Hyderabad (8 per cent) were reported as the next few locations for hiring freshers.
Other functions for which freshers were hired include sales and business development (14 per cent), HR & admin (8 per cent), healthcare (8 per cent) and marketing & communications (8 per cent). The Indian IT, recruitment and banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) industries require tech talent with expertise in cloud computing, data science, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, as per the report.
Average salaries
Bengaluru reports the highest average fresher salary of 4.16 LPA among major Indian cities. Following closely is Mumbai at 3.99 LPA, with Delhi/NCR (3.89 LPA), Chennai (3.84 LPA), Pune (3.8 LPA), Kolkata (3.39 LPA) and Coimbatore (3.35 LPA).
The demand for freshers with bachelor’s degrees increased from 59 per cent in 2023 to 71 per cent in 2024. The opportunities for non-graduate freshers noted a rise, with their hiring share growing from 4 per cent in 2023 to 11 per cent in 2024.
“This shift means that young professionals need to focus on acquiring relevant skills to stand out in the competitive job market. To bridge this gap, there’s a pressing need for better learning and development initiatives within our educational system. At Foundit, we’re committed to supporting this shift through various initiatives, including continuing with our annual virtual career fair for freshers and young professionals,” said Sekhar Garisa, CEO of Foundit.
The software and hardware industries reported to offer the highest salaries, ranging from 4.07 to 7.49 lakh per annum on average. Following closely is the BFSI industry, which provides freshers with average salaries ranging from 3.06 to 5.49 lakh per annum. Competitive compensation is also offered by other industries such as automotive, engineering and FMCG, food and packaged food, with average salaries ranging from 3.11 to 5.38 lakh per annum.
Inputs from BL intern Meghna Barik