Fresher hiring rises to 73% in early 2026, but the rules of entry have changed

India’s job market is opening its doors to fresh graduates again. But this time, it is not handing out entry passes based on degrees alone.

Nearly 73% of employers plan to hire freshers between January and June 2026, according to the Career Outlook Report HY1 2026 released on February 18 by TeamLease EdTech.

The figure marks a modest yet meaningful three-percentage-point rise over the previous half-year, a signal that companies are regaining confidence in entry-level talent.

The report is based on responses from 1,051 employers across industries and cities, collected between November 2025 and January 2026. While the headline number suggests recovery, the fine print tells a more layered story.

If there is one sector rewriting the hiring script, it is retail.

The report shows 91% hiring intent in retail, up sharply from 41% in the same period last year, a striking 50-percentage-point jump. The growth reflects the rapid expansion of organised retail networks and dark-store logistics models that power India’s quick-commerce ecosystem.

Close behind are e-commerce and technology start-ups at 90%, reinforcing the country’s steady digital expansion. Manufacturing, too, is in hiring mode, with 85% intent, suggesting renewed activity in supply chains and production units.

Other sectors that had slowed in recent years are also returning to the table. Travel has climbed from 26% to 77% hiring intent, while Power and Energy has risen from 22% to 72%, according to the report’s data. These increases point to a broader recovery across operational industries.

Concentration of hiring impetus lies in big cities. Bangalore leads on the list with 84 percent fresher intent employment, driven by Information Technology (81 percent), E-commerce and Technology Start-ups (90 percent) and Engineering and Infrastructure (61 percent).

The city also dominates in terms of degree apprenticeship employment at 45 percent, which signifies an increasing conglomeration of learning and work courses.

Mumbai is next with 72%, with retail (91%) leading, FMCG (80%), and healthcare and pharmaceuticals (52). Chennai notes 63 percent, which supports the dominance of the metro cluster in entry-level employment.

These cities alone represent a large portion of the early-career opportunities in India, and so geography is a key factor to be considered by new graduates.

However, the greatest change is not the fact that companies are now recruiting, but the manner in which they are recruiting.

The report indicates the increased focus on practical skills. Employers are also checking freshers on the basis of internships, live projects, portfolios, and proof-of- work and not just on academic scores. The market is also leaning towards the candidates who are able to prove their capability rather than their qualification.

Business Intelligence Analyst, Cloud Operations Associate, and Digital Campaign Analyst are some of the positions that are highly demanded as fresher positions and require technical fluency and deliverables by the first day on the job.

In accordance with this requirement, the business analysis, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud computing, AI-enabled digital marketing, and project management certifications are becoming increasingly relevant, as the report evaluation of skill trends shows.

The 73% hiring intent figure reflects optimism. But it is a cautious optimism. Employers are willing to hire. They are even expanding intake in sectors that had slowed sharply. What they are not willing to do is compromise on readiness. The divide, increasingly, is between candidates who can show real-world competence and those who cannot.

For India’s 2026 graduating cohort, the message is clear: The opportunity window is wider than it was a year ago. But entry now depends less on what is printed on a certificate and more on what can be proven in practice. The hiring rebound is real. So is the recalibration of expectations.