Corporate India is gearing up for a significant acceleration in job creation, with projections indicating a stronger hiring cycle in 2026. According to new insights, businesses across sectors are preparing to expand their teams, revitalize campus recruitment programs, and intensify efforts to meet diversity and inclusion targets.
Projected Job Growth and Sectoral Drivers
Staffing firm TeamLease estimates that the Indian corporate sector could add between 10 and 12 million jobs in the calendar year 2026. This marks a notable increase from the projected 8 to 10 million jobs expected to be created in 2025. The upswing is attributed to multiple factors shaping the economic landscape.
Neeti Sharma, Chief Executive of TeamLease Digital, explained the broader outlook. She stated that demand for new talent is being propelled by widespread digital and technology transformation initiatives. Additionally, expansion in key sectors like financial services, healthcare, and infrastructure is fueling recruitment. Sharma also highlighted the role of multinational companies establishing Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India and rising consumer demand, especially in cities beyond the major metros, as significant contributors to employment growth.
Corporate Hiring Blueprints: Skills and Diversity
Human resources leaders from prominent companies have outlined ambitious hiring plans that focus on new-age skills and building more inclusive workforces.
Professional services giant EY India is planning a substantial intake. Arti Dua, Chief HR Officer at EY India, revealed that the firm expects to hire 14,000 to 15,000 people in the financial year ending June 2026. She emphasized that campus hiring remains a crucial pillar of their strategy, with the company typically recruiting around 2,000 candidates annually from business schools, engineering institutions, law colleges, and undergraduate programs. EY India currently employs close to 50,000 people.
At Diageo India, the focus will be on acquiring capabilities linked to high-growth areas. Shilpa Vaid, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), said hiring priorities will centre on digital functions, supply chain operations, and category expansion. The company is concurrently working to enhance gender diversity. Currently, women constitute 30% of the executive workforce and 31% of leadership roles at the Indian arm of the British alcoholic beverages maker.
Automaker Tata Motors is aligning its recruitment with future-facing roles. According to CHRO Sitaram Kandi, hiring will be concentrated in domains such as battery technology, software-defined vehicles, hydrogen fuel, engineering and R&D, commercial functions, and customer service. The company is also sharpening its focus on inclusivity, mirroring a trend seen across corporate India.
Inclusivity and Upskilling as Core Pillars
The push for a more diverse and skilled workforce is a common thread in the 2026 hiring strategies.
Godrej Consumer Products has set a clear diversity target. Vaibhav Ram, the company's HR head, stated that the aim is to increase the representation of persons with disabilities, LGBTIQA+ individuals, and cis-women to 33% by the financial year 2027, up from the current 31%.
Financial services firm Motilal Oswal is planning recruitment across all its business lines. Group CHRO Niren Srivastava mentioned that the company will hire for both replacement roles and new positions in technology, data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and support functions. A parallel effort is underway to raise the number of women in leadership positions within the organization.
Alongside fresh hiring, most companies confirmed they will continue to invest in upskilling and reskilling their existing employees to prepare them for evolving business needs and technological advancements.
This collective corporate momentum points towards a robust year for India's job market in 2026, characterized by volume, a focus on specialized skills, and a concerted drive towards creating more equitable workplaces.
