India's job market closed 2025 on a strong note, with hiring activity up 15% year-over-year, according to the Foundit Insights Tracker report. Artificial intelligence was described as the single biggest driver of that growth, with nearly 2.9 lakh AI-linked roles posted across the country in 2025 alone.

That momentum is expected to accelerate further in 2026, with AI hiring projected to grow 32% year-over-year, reaching close to 3.8 lakh roles. IT-Software and Services currently holds the largest share of these AI jobs at 37%, followed by BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance) at nearly 16%, and manufacturing at 6%.

What's notable is how broad this growth is - it's not limited to tech companies. BFSI recorded 41% year-over-year growth in AI-related hiring, while healthcare and pharmaceuticals grew 38%, and retail grew 31%. This suggests AI skills are becoming valuable across almost every industry, not just traditional tech roles.

For students, this is a strong signal that learning AI-adjacent skills - even a working understanding of how AI tools function - is increasingly useful regardless of which industry you eventually want to work in, whether that's finance, healthcare, retail, or manufacturing.