India’s New Job Hubs: 10 Cities Outpacing Bengaluru And Mumbai | Visakhapatnam News
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India’s fastest-growing job markets are no longer limited to the biggest metros. LinkedIn’s latest report reveals the non-metro cities driving the country’s hiring boom
Growing Job Market: Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam topped the list, reflecting its growing importance as an employment destination beyond India’s established metropolitan centres.
LinkedIn’s ‘Cities On The Rise’ Report: India’s employment landscape is undergoing a significant shift, with several non-metro cities emerging as key centres for hiring and economic growth, according to LinkedIn’s inaugural ‘Cities On The Rise 2026’ report.
Based on LinkedIn data analysing job postings, hiring trends and infrastructure-led growth, the report identifies the 10 fastest-growing non-metro cities where companies are increasingly creating jobs and expanding operations.
Notably, traditional employment hubs such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi NCR do not feature in the rankings.
Top 10 Cities On The Rise
According to LinkedIn, these are India’s fastest-growing non-metro job markets:
- Visakhapatnam
- Ranchi
- Vijayawada
- Nashik
- Raipur
- Rajkot
- Gwalior
- Agra
- Jammu
- Varanasi
Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam topped the list, reflecting its growing importance as an employment destination beyond India’s established metropolitan centres.
Why These Cities Are Growing
LinkedIn attributed the rise of these cities to improving urban infrastructure, lower operating costs and increased hiring by companies in sectors such as technology, pharmaceuticals and financial services.
The report highlighted companies including Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Miracle Software Systems and HCLTech as among those expanding their presence across these emerging locations.
Engineering And Business Roles Lead Hiring
According to LinkedIn, hiring across these cities is being driven primarily by opportunities in business development, engineering, sales and operations.
Engineering roles account for a significant share of recruitment in coastal cities such as Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, while business development positions are leading employment growth in cities including Nashik, Raipur, Rajkot, Gwalior, Agra, Jammu and Varanasi.
A Shift Away From Traditional Metros
The report suggests India’s career landscape is becoming increasingly decentralised, with professionals finding attractive opportunities closer to home instead of relocating to major metropolitan centres.
Industry experts cited in the report said the emergence of these high-growth markets allows skilled professionals to access expanding career opportunities locally while helping businesses benefit from a wider talent pool and comparatively lower operating costs.
The findings also point to the growing role of tier-2 and tier-3 cities in sectors such as artificial intelligence, manufacturing, engineering and design, signalling a broader redistribution of employment opportunities across the country.
August 08, 2026, 11:00 IST
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