The hiring climate seems to be improving in certain sectors, according to Naukri’s JobSpeak Index for March. In the oil and gas industry, hiring rose by 22% compared to the previous year. Senior professionals with 16 or more years of experience saw an 11% increase in demand. Additionally, there was a growing demand for AI and machine learning roles, with a 12% increase in hiring. The role of ML engineer saw the highest hiring demand, with an 82% growth year-on-year. Full stack data scientists also saw an increase in demand, with a growth of 20%. The report also highlighted the shift in hiring from traditional metro cities to emerging cities like Ahmedabad. Furthermore, startups in the software services space showed a 77% increase in hiring requirements, which is a positive sign for a sector that has been facing a funding crunch. However, the demand for entry-level professionals saw a dip of 11% compared to the previous year, indicating a possible need for companies to focus on bolstering their middle and senior management levels. The report also noted a 16% year-on-year increase in job openings offering salaries over Rs 20 lakh per annum. On the other hand, sectors like IT, BPO, and retail saw a decline in hiring. Despite these challenges, the Indian job market seems poised for positive trends in the coming quarters, especially in the fields of AI/ML and for seasoned professionals.