India’s employment map is broadening beyond traditional hubs, finds a survey by talent marketplace Apna, timed with the country’s 79th Independence Day celebration. The Bharat@79 report tracks shifts in employer demand, candidate participation, wages, the nature of work and the readiness of different markets for what comes next. It finds that in Q1 FY27, tier-2 postings grew 16.1 per cent YoY and tier-3 postings grew 30.6 per cent YoY, compared with 7.3 per cent YoY growth in tier-1 markets. Emerging cities led the momentum, with Guwahati up 48.4 per cent, Varanasi 41.7 per cent and Dehradun 28.5 per cent YoY. Tier-1 markets continue to account for most hiring demand, but the pace of growth points to a dispersion of opportunity and the emergence of India’s next employment centres. The changing geography of employment is also reflected in the jobs being created, notes the report. Quick commerce, supply chain, manufacturing and operations are among the areas seeing strong demand, pointing to the growing importance of the physical and operational economy. Gen Z accounted for 72.9 per cent of applications in Q1 FY27. Participation was particularly strong in tier-2 markets.

Nearly 90 per cent of India’s Global Capability Centre (GCC) leaders are confident about retaining their global leadership position through 2030 but cite unresolved talent and skill gaps across AI and sector-specific knowledge, finds a new study by PwC India-FICCI titled 'Navigating the skills imperative for India’s GCCs in the AI era’.

GCC leaders believe workforce upskilling is an urgent requirement, finds the report, based on a survey of 200 senior GCC executives across eight industries. Most GCCs currently allocate 3–5 per cent of operating budgets to talent development. However, an overwhelming 94 per cent believe investments must rise to at least 6 per cent, with more than a quarter expecting spending to exceed 8 per cent.

New hires take an average of 8.69 months to become fully productive and is a friction point that stands between talent ambition and execution, finds the report.

Published on August 17, 2026