4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Aug 12, 2026 12:26 PM IST
When the United Nations General Assembly designated August 12 as International Youth Day in the late 1990s, the idea was to draw greater attention to issues affecting young people and to create space for youth participation in discussions on their future. The decision followed a recommendation from the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth, held in Lisbon in 1998. Over the years, International Youth Day has focused attention on a range of issues affecting young people, including education, employment, health, political participation and other social and economic concerns.
More than two decades later, the question of what kind of opportunities young people can access as they enter the workforce has become more relevant than ever: In India, the latest hiring data suggests that while the overall outlook for freshers has improved, the recovery is not uniform. Some industries are actively expanding their entry-level hiring plans, while others are becoming more cautious — pointing to a job market in which the question is increasingly not just whether young people can find jobs, but which sectors are creating those opportunities and what skills they demand.
According to TeamLease EdTech’s Career Outlook Report for July-December 2026, 75 per cent of employers surveyed across India intend to hire freshers in the second half of the year, up from 73 per cent in the previous six-month period. The report is based on responses from 1,097 employers surveyed between May and July 2026.
E-commerce, retail, manufacturing lead fresher hiring
The strongest hiring intent is not concentrated singularly on technology sector. E-commerce and technology start-ups and retail lead at 93 per cent each, followed by manufacturing at 89 per cent. FMCG records 86 per cent, while travel and hospitality stands at 81 per cent.
This is significant because the sectors at the top of the list span consumer businesses, digital commerce and industrial employment rather than traditional white-collar graduate recruitment alone.
The report shows that hiring intent in e-commerce and technology start-ups increased from 90 per cent in the first half of 2026 to 93 per cent in the second half. Retail rose from 91 per cent to 93 per cent, while manufacturing increased from 85 per cent to 89 per cent. FMCG recorded a six-percentage-point rise, from 80 per cent to 86 per cent, and travel and hospitality increased from 77 per cent to 81 per cent.
IT still hires, but fresher demand falls
The picture is different in some sectors traditionally associated with graduate employment. IT, despite recording a relatively high hiring intent of 76 per cent, has seen a five-percentage-point decline from 81 per cent in HY1 2026.
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Consulting has fallen from 22 per cent to 19 per cent, educational services from 23 per cent to 21 per cent, media and entertainment from 54 per cent to 52per cent, marketing and advertising from 62 per cent to 59 per cent, and telecom from 64 per cent to 61 per cent.
What jobs are being created for freshers?
The roles in demand also show how the entry-level job market is changing. The report’s top five fresher roles are AI Application Developer, Jr. Semiconductor Design Engineer, Data Centre Operations Associate, Programmatic Advertising Associate, and Inventory & Dispatch Executive.
The wider list includes cybersecurity analysts, full-stack developers, quick-commerce operations executives, digital media analysts, biomedical equipment technicians, digital marketing executives, data research analysts, automation and controls engineers, supply chain planners, and GIS analysts, who use mapping and location-based data to analyse areas, infrastructure and other geographic information.
Bengaluru leads fresher hiring
The hiring outlook is also concentrated in a few major employment hubs. Bengaluru records the highest fresher hiring intent at 89%, followed by Mumbai at 75% and Chennai at 71%. Hyderabad stands at 60%, while Delhi and Pune record 49% and 41%, respectively. All six cities recorded higher hiring intent in HY2 2026 than in the previous half-year.
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The report identifies full-stack engineering, cloud security, business analytics, healthcare technology, ML and predictive modelling, big data engineering, sustainability, performance marketing analytics, and semiconductor design as some of the key skills employers are seeking in freshers.
It also lists accountability, attention to detail, critical thinking, work ethics and adaptability among the top soft skills employers expect.
The report describes this as a broader movement from qualification-led to capability-led hiring, with employers placing greater emphasis on practical experience, digital fluency, communication and the ability to apply knowledge in workplace situations.