The demand for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) talent skyrocketed in august 2025, highlighting a remarkable trend in India’s job market. According to the latest Naukri JobSpeak report, recruitment for AI and ML roles rose by 54%, even as broader IT hiring faced a slowdown. Let’s break down what’s driving this surge and which sectors and cities are leading the growth.


1. AI and ML Talent: The Stars of August

While overall IT and software services hiring dipped by 6%, companies focused on cutting-edge technologies were aggressively expanding. AI and ML specialists were in high demand across multiple industries.

IT unicorns bucked the slowdown trend, reporting a 10% increase in recruitment for August.

These roles include data scientists, machine learning engineers, AI researchers, and AI product managers.

This shows that even amid broader tech hiring slowdowns, businesses continue to prioritize digital transformation and intelligent automation, driving sustained demand for specialised talent.


2. Non-IT Sectors Take Centre Stage

Interestingly, non-IT industries led the hiring spree, reflecting a growing reliance on AI and ML beyond traditional technology companies.

Insurance: +24% hiring

Hospitality: +22%

Real Estate: +18%

BPO/ITES: +17%

Education: +16%

Oil & Gas/Power: +7%

Retail: +3%

FMCG: +2%

These sectors increasingly use AI for tasks such as risk assessment, customer experience enhancement, property analytics, and predictive maintenance.


3. Sectors Facing Hiring Slowdowns

While AI and ML demand surged, other areas saw reduced activity:

Banking & Financial Services: -11%

Telecom/ISP: -13%

Automotive: -3%

Meanwhile, white-collar roles that demand advanced education or specialised skills still rose modestly by 3% year-on-year, showing that niche expertise remains valuable across industries.


4. Fresher Recruitment Gains Momentum

Freshers with 0-3 years of experience saw a 7% increase in hiring, driven primarily by non-IT sectors like hospitality, real estate, and education.

This indicates growing opportunities for young professionals to enter high-growth sectors early.

Companies are increasingly hiring fresher talent to train in AI and ML technologies for future deployment.


5. hyderabad Emerges as a Key Hiring Hub

Among metro cities, Hyderabad stood out with a 10% jump in overall hiring.

Unicorns in the city reported a 45% spike in recruitment.

Hyderabad’s rise as a startup hub is creating abundant opportunities for AI/ML talent and other specialised roles.

Commenting on the trends, Pawan Goyal, Chief business Officer at Naukri, said:

"In august, two clear patterns emerged. Non-IT industries continue to drive job market expansion, and hyderabad has quickly become a hub for startup hiring, outpacing other metros in overall growth."


6. What This Means for job Seekers

The report underscores key takeaways for professionals and freshers:

AI and ML skills are highly prized across both IT and non-IT sectors.

Non-traditional sectors like insurance, hospitality, and real estate are increasingly leveraging AI-driven solutions.

Fresher talent with the right technical skillset has rising opportunities, especially in emerging hubs like Hyderabad.

Professionals with hybrid skills combining domain knowledge and AI/ML expertise will find themselves in high demand.


7. The Takeaway

August 2025 proves that AI and ML are no longer confined to IT companies. Businesses across sectors are embracing intelligent automation, predictive analytics, and machine learning solutions. For job seekers, now is the perfect time to upskill in AI/ML technologies and explore opportunities beyond the conventional IT space, with hyderabad emerging as a hotspot for career growth.

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G GOWTHAM

02/09/2025 02:40 PM