AI hiring is up, IT hiring is down: what startups do
Naukri's September 2026 data shows AI/ML hiring up 20% while white-collar hiring grew 2%. What a startup should do about it, in five steps.
If you are a startup founder in India, the hiring market just split in two. Naukri's JobSpeak report for September 2026 shows AI and machine learning jobs up 20% year on year, while overall white-collar hiring grew only 2%. Competition for AI talent is rising. The practical answer is to hire for one clear problem, in a small, dedicated setup, and not to wait for a perfect full-time hire.
What the data says
Naukri published its September 2026 JobSpeak report on 6 October 2026. The figures that matter to a founder:
- White-collar hiring grew about 2% year on year (YourStory, October 2026).
- AI/ML jobs grew 20% year on year in the same month.
- IT and software services hiring was down 4%.
One caution: the index counts postings on Naukri's own portal. It shows the direction of demand, not the number of people actually hired. Treat it as a signal, not a forecast.
Why it matters if you are not an AI company
Most startups are not building models. But the same pull shows up in a smaller way in your team:
- The people who can wire AI tools into a real workflow (support, sales follow-up, reporting) are in demand, so a standard job post attracts fewer of them.
- A long, multi-round hiring process loses candidates who have other options.
- A role described as "AI person who does everything" gets vague applications and a vague outcome.
None of this means you should hire an AI engineer. It means that if you need one, the old pace of hiring is a risk.
Five steps for a founder this month
- Name the one problem. "Cut the time to answer leads from hours to minutes" is a brief. "Do AI" is not. Write the problem, the tools you already use and what done looks like.
- Decide the role. An AI engineer builds and connects systems. A data specialist cleans and structures your information. An automation specialist wires the tools you already pay for. Pick one first.
- Set a 30-day outcome. One working workflow or one live report. It makes the first month easy to judge on both sides.
- Choose the setup before the person. A dedicated expert who works inside your team, in your Slack and standups, on your priorities, is different from a project vendor who hands over a file. Decide which you need.
- Test before you commit. Give the expert a real, small task in week one. Our guide on how to test a remote expert before committing shows what to look for.
Full-time hire or dedicated expert?
| Full-time hire | Dedicated expert | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to start | Weeks to months, with notice periods | Live in about 7 days at AnantaSutra |
| Fit for one clear problem | Often more than you need | Matches the problem |
| Changing course | Slow and costly | Scale up or pause anytime |
| Cost clarity | Salary plus other costs (see this breakdown) | One fixed monthly price |
At AnantaSutra the price is one fixed monthly price, from ₹20,000 to ₹60,000 a month, depending on the expert's skills, experience and the work. No extra fees, no lock-in. You see 2-3 hand-picked, vetted experts and choose whom to interview.
A full-time hire still makes sense when the work is core to your product for years. For a first AI workflow, many teams are better served by starting small.
What to check in an AI expert's work
- A shipped example you can see, not only a certificate or a list of tools.
- How they explain a decision in plain language. If they cannot explain it to you, your team will not be able to maintain it.
- What they do when the tool is wrong. Ask how they test outputs and handle mistakes.
- How they document, so the work stays with your team if the expert changes.
For the role in more detail, read our guide to hiring a dedicated AI engineer in India and the cost of a dedicated developer in India.
What to do with the news
Don't rush into a hire because AI hiring is up 20%. A figure like that is a reason to be clear and quick, not to hurry. A brief for one problem, a small test and a setup you can change will serve you in a market where good people have options.
If you want an expert for this, see our dedicated experts service. Your expert would be in your team in about 7 days.
FAQ
Is AI hiring in India really growing?
Naukri's September 2026 JobSpeak shows AI/ML jobs up 20% year on year against 2% for white-collar hiring overall. The index tracks postings on Naukri, so read it as a direction of demand.
Does falling IT hiring mean developers are not needed?
No. Naukri's figure was a 4% fall in IT and software services hiring in September 2026. It says services hiring is slower, not that product companies and startups have no need for developers.
Should a small startup hire a full-time AI engineer?
Only if AI is core to the product for the long run. For a first workflow or report, a dedicated expert on a clear 30-day outcome is a lighter way to start.
How fast can an expert start with AnantaSutra?
We aim to have an expert live in about 7 days. You interview 2-3 vetted experts and choose.
What does it cost?
One fixed monthly price per expert, from ₹20,000 to ₹60,000 a month, depending on the expert's skills, experience and the work. No extra fees, no lock-in.
Ready to talk it through? Book a free consultation.
