Fresher Hiring Trends in India: Software and Hardware Industry Lead with 32% Share; Delhi & Bengaluru Are Top Destinations: foundit
foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME), one of India’s leading talent platforms, today released a report on fresher hiring trends. The data reported that the highest share of job postings for freshers was witnessed by the IT and Recruitment/Staffing industry with over 32% and 12% share of jobs respectively, dedicated to entry-level professionals. Additionally, the demand for freshers has increased by 5% over the last six months.
Industry reports indicate that IT companies, particularly in the Hardware and Software sectors, are showing intent to hire freshers, signalling a shift in hiring strategies in India. This trend is largely driven by ongoing restructuring efforts within the industry, focusing on adopting new technologies, optimising costs, enhancing innovation, and ensuring scalability.
Speaking on the importance of skill-based hiring and career development for fresh graduates, Sekhar Garisa, CEO of foundit (previously Monster APAC & ME), said, “We’re seeing a clear trend where startups and other companies are increasingly valuing skills over just academic credentials. 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“
Note about Aspire:
Aspire is the leading virtual career fair for freshers and young professionals with up to 2 years of experience. The annual fair is coming up on 19th and 20th June.
The fair will connect job seekers with top employers in India, providing a platform to explore opportunities across sectors with roles in IT, finance, marketing, human resources, and more.
Startups looking to hire newly graduated engineering students
Startups in the IT services and Internet industry lead in fresher hiring, with 23% and 22% of jobs directed to new graduates respectively. While jobs in the IT industry did decline in the last quarter, Engineering graduates are in demand for 28% of jobs in startups alone. Additionally, other roles being hired across startups are Consultants (10%), Sales/Exec Manager (4%), and Operations Exec/Manager (4%).
| Top roles for freshers in startups | % share |
| Engineers | 28% |
| Consultants | 10% |
| Sales Exec/ Manager | 4% |
| Operations Exec/Managers | 4% |
| Designers | 2% |
| Marketing Executive | 2% |
| Project-manager | 1% |
| Data-analyst | 1% |
Delhi and Bengaluru emerge as the top locations for fresher hiring
foundit data reflects that Delhi/NCR (21%) hosts the highest share of job postings for freshers, followed by Bengaluru (14%). Notably, fresher hiring was highest in metropolitan cities in India. Mumbai (8%), Chennai (8%), Pune (8%), and Hyderabad (8%) were recorded as the next few top locations for hiring freshers.
Top hiring locations for freshers as per foundit
| Top hiring locations for freshers | % share of jobs |
| May-24 | |
| Delhi / NCR | 21% |
| Mumbai | 8% |
| Bengaluru | 14% |
| Chennai | 8% |
| Pune | 8% |
| Hyderabad | 8% |
| Kolkata | 5% |
| Ahmedabad | 5% |
Among the top functions that are hiring, Software and Hardware accounted for the highest share of entry-level positions at 32%. The other top functions looking to hire freshers include Sales & Business Development (14%), HR & Admin (8%), Healthcare (8%), and Marketing & Communications (8%). The Indian IT, Recruitment, and BFSI industries are particularly seeking tech talent skilled in cloud computing, data science, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. Additionally, soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking are highly valued.
Top functions in demand for freshers
| Top functions in demand | % share of fresher jobs |
| May-24 | |
| Software, Hardware | 32% |
| Sales & BD | 14% |
| HR & Admin | 8% |
| Medical Roles | 8% |
| Marketing & Communications | 8% |
| Finance & Accounting | 5% |
| Engineering / Production | 4% |
Bengaluru offers the highest average fresher salary, followed by Mumbai and Delhi
According to foundit data, Bengaluru stands out with 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)
Salary trends for freshers as per foundit
| Location | Average fresher salary – LPA (₹ ) |
| 2024 | |
| Bangalore | 4.16 |
| Delhi/NCR | 3.89 |
| Mumbai | 3.99 |
| Kolkata | 3.39 |
| Chennai | 3.84 |
| Pune | 3.80 |
| Coimbatore | 3.35 |
Share of jobs available for fresh graduates goes up
There has been a notable shift in qualification requirements for freshers between 2023 and 2024. foundit data reveals a substantial increase in the demand for fresh graduates. The demand for freshers with bachelor’s degrees rose from 59% in 2023 to 71% in 2024. Additionally, there has been a significant surge in opportunities for non-graduate freshers, with the hiring share increasing from 4% in 2023 to 11% in 2024.
This shift possibly indicates a changing landscape in recruitment practices, with companies increasingly valuing skills over traditional academic qualifications for certain entry-level roles.
| Qualification | % share of fresher jobs | % share of fresher jobs |
| 2023 | 2024 | |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 59% | 71% |
| No Degree Required | 4% | 11% |
| Postgraduate Degree | 37% | 18% |
Bachelor’s Degree Classification
| Bachelor’s Degree | % share (2023) | % share (2024) | |
| Tech Graduates | 37% | 23% | |
| Science Graduates | 14% | 15% | |
| Other Graduates | 49% | 62% |
Freshers in the IT industry receive maximum compensation
As per the data on salary brackets for freshers, new graduates in the IT – Software, and Hardware industries earn the highest salaries, with averages ranging from 4.07 – 7.49 lakh per annum. This is followed by the BFSI industry, which compensates freshers with average salaries ranging from 3.06 – 5.49 lakh per annum. Other industries offering competitive compensation include Automotive, Engineering, and FMCG, Food & Packaged Food industry, with average salaries ranging from 3.11 – 5.38 lakh per annum.
Salaries for freshers
| Industry | Average min-salary – LPA (₹) | Average max-salary – LPA (₹) |
| Banking/ Financial Services, Insurance | 3,06,137 | 5,49,683 |
| BPO/ITES | 2,20,772 | 4,18,253 |
| IT – Hardware, Software | 4,07,056 | 7,49,812 |
| Engineering, Cement, Construction, Iron/ Steel | 3,11,349 | 5,28,137 |
| Education | 2,99,731 | 4,82,440 |
| Automotive/ Ancillaries / Tyres | 3,20,776 | 5,38,002 |
| Telecom/ISP | 2,76,769 | 4,80,897 |
| Advertising, Market Research, Public Relations (PR) | 2,76,803 | 5,47,158 |
| Travel and Tourism | 2,88,696 | 5,80,234 |
| FMCG, Food & Packaged Food | 3,38,341 | 5,38,359 |
| Retail | 2,82,402 | 4,68,829 |
| Logistic, Courier/ Freight/ Transportation | 2,95,019 | 4,98,669 |