India’s smaller cities are fast emerging as the new job powerhouses, outpacing traditional metros like Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi. According to the Foundit Insights Tracker (fit), hiring in tier-2 and tier-3 cities grew by 21% year-on-year in September, surpassing job growth in metropolitan areas.
Cities such as Jaipur, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Indore, Bhubaneswar, Kochi, Surat, Nagpur, and Chandigarh led the surge, driven by expansion in e-commerce warehousing, logistics, retail, and rising festive season demand.
Overall, India’s total hiring increased 17% annually and 4% month-on-month, highlighting a resilient job market beyond metro regions. Anupama Bhimrajka, Vice President of Marketing at Foundit, said the shift shows the growing strength of smaller cities as sustainable talent hubs.
While metros continue to record steady growth–about 14% year-on-year–the hiring landscape is clearly becoming more decentralized. Sectors like sales, marketing, customer support, and creative media are driving this momentum.
Experts say the trend marks a long-term transformation, as companies increasingly tap into regional talent pools, offering professionals more opportunities closer to home with lower living costs and better work-life balance.
