In a significant development for India’s job market, Delhivery and Flipkart have announced plans to create over 1 lakh job openings, broadening their recruitment reach beyond metropolitan areas. This move is part of a broader trend of decentralised hiring practices that are reshaping the nation’s employment landscape. Apna, a professional networking platform, reported a notable increase in job applications, reaching a record-breaking 1.81 crore in the first quarter of 2025, a 30% rise from the previous year. This surge reflects the overall economic optimism and digital hiring boom across various sectors.
Women and freshers are at the forefront of this employment boom, particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Applications from women for enterprise roles soared by 92%, driven by flexible work options, inclusive hiring practices, and expanded opportunities in sectors like BPO, finance, and HR. Freshers also showed strong participation, with over 66 lakh applications — a 46% year-on-year increase. These developments highlight the growing role of non-metro regions in contributing to India’s workforce.
Emerging cities such as Rajkot, Warangal, and Meerut are now integral to the mainstream hiring narrative, as companies increasingly recruit beyond metros. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have emerged as the largest job creators, posting over 2.1 lakh job listings, including positions exclusively for women. Meanwhile, the rise of remote-first work models has enabled cities like Indore, Jaipur, and Lucknow to become key players in the tech hiring sector.
India’s digital transformation is accelerating, with the digital economy projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030. This shift is fostering the creation of decentralised tech talent hubs. Apna recorded a 65.4% increase in job postings for Software/Web Developer roles in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting the surging demand for specialised professionals in fields such as AI/ML, cybersecurity, and data-driven operations. Cities like Indore, Jaipur, Lucknow, Rajkot, and Warangal are emerging as significant players in the tech hiring landscape.
Reflecting on these changes, Nirmit Parikh, Founder & CEO of Apna, stated: “When we launched Apna, we weren’t just building a jobs platform — we were building a movement to unlock access for every Indian, regardless of their pin code or past experience. In Q1 2025 too, we witnessed this vision materialise in ways we had always hoped for. From Delhi to Dehradun, Surat to Samastipur, we saw hiring become truly decentralised. Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities contributed over 40% of new users, with many of them showing double-digit growth in job applications.”
Parikh added: “Applications from women for enterprise roles didn’t just rise, they saw a 92% leap. Fresher applications crossed 66 lakh. Enterprises scaled hiring into non-metro regions, and SMBs emerged as the largest job creators — not just in metros, but across 900+ cities. The hiring process itself is evolving too — with AI now matching candidates faster, improving conversion rates, and empowering job seekers to prepare smarter. We’re seeing people find not just any job, but the right job — faster than ever before. In just one quarter, over 1.81 crore job applications were submitted on Apna. That’s not just a statistic — it’s 1.81 crore stories of determination. From Tier 1 metros to the most remote Tier 3 towns, India is not just working — India is winning. And Apna is proud to be enabling that revolution.”
