India job market shifts toward non-metro cities, LinkedIn report finds

LinkedIn's inaugural 'Cities On The Rise 2026' report indicates a significant shift in India's employment landscape, with non-metro cities emerging as primary drivers of hiring and economic growth. According to the report, ten non-metro cities are outpacing traditional hubs like Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi NCR. Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, leads the list of these rising job markets.

The fastest-growing non-metro cities identified include Visakhapatnam, Ranchi, Vijayawada, Nashik, Raipur, Rajkot, Gwalior, Agra, Jammu, and Varanasi. This trend is attributed to improving urban infrastructure, lower operating costs, and expansion in the technology, pharmaceutical, and financial services sectors. Companies such as Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Miracle Software Systems, and HCLTech are among those expanding operations in these regions.

In addition to geographic shifts, LinkedIn identified the top 10 companies in India sought after by job seekers for their salary, growth, and work-life balance. The list features major entities including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Google India, Amazon India, Microsoft India, Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, Accenture, Adobe India, and Zomato.