E-commerce & technology start-up sectors’ hiring intent stands at 70 per cent , making it the leading industry for freshers in H1CY2025. It has risen by 9 per cent from the year-ago period, according to data from TeamLease Edtech.
The top three industries within tech start-ups expressing increased intent to hire freshers during H1 2025 are retail tech, fintech and healthtech, according to the data.
“This momentum is expected to sustain over the next 12-18 months as companies continue investing in last-mile delivery logistics, automation, and personalization strategies to meet consumer demand,” said Shantanu Rooj, Founder and CEO, TeamLease Edtech.
The top domain skills in demand include robotic process automation, network security, cloud computing, and performance marketing, all of which are critical for scaling e-commerce and tech businesses. Alongside technical competencies, start-ups are looking for freshers with computational thinking, adaptability, and analytical reasoning to navigate the fast-paced, ever-evolving nature of these industries.
“Additionally, certifications in AI & Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, and Digital Marketing are enhancing employability prospects, making candidates more attractive to startup,” said Rooj.
Regionally, Bengaluru (78%), Mumbai (65%) and Chennai (57%) lead as the top three cities with the highest intent to recruit freshers.
Gaining traction
Degree apprenticeships are also gaining traction, with hiring intent strongest in the manufacturing (30%), engineering and infrastructure (23%), and IT (12%) industries.
“Start-ups are increasingly collaborating with higher education institutions to offer work-integrated learning models that enable students to gain hands-on experience while earning a degree. This model helps businesses access talent with both academic rigor and practical expertise while ensuring retention through structured career growth pathways,” he added.
On the job seeker side, freshers are focusing on gaining expertise in data visualisation (92%), coding assistance tools (66%) and prompt engineering (57%) to align with industry demands.
The overall hiring intent across all experience levels stands at 79%, but sentiment varies significantly by experience range.
While freshers see a positive hiring trend, intent declines to 69% for those with one to five years of experience and further drops for mid-career professionals. The hiring sentiment for senior roles (six to 10 years of experience) is at 40%, whereas it is negligible for those with more than 15 years of experience. The trend indicates that companies prioritise entry-level and early-career professionals while being cautious about senior-level hiring.