
Many students learn basic Excel, SQL, and dashboard creation to begin their careers. These skills are still important, but employers may also look for candidates who understand automation, predictive analysis, and AI-based tools. The Naukri JobSpeak Index 2026 provides useful information about hiring trends in different industries. Understanding these trends can help students select the right skills and prepare for future job opportunities.
The Naukri JobSpeak Index 2026 is a monthly report that tracks hiring activity across different industries in India. It helps job seekers understand changes in recruitment demand and identify sectors that are creating employment opportunities.
According to the Naukri JobSpeak Index 2026, India's white-collar hiring activity opened 2026 with 3% year-on-year growth, offering useful context on the changing employment landscape for job seekers.
The trends indicated in the study you gave indicate a growing demand for specialist technical capabilities. Machine learning and artificial intelligence jobs are grabbing headlines, while traditional IT and software services continue to churn out jobs.
The following table summarises the hiring trends mentioned in the report:
|
Hiring Area |
Reported Trend |
What It Means for Job Seekers |
|
IT and Software Services |
Modest growth of around 3% to 6% |
Basic technical skills remain useful |
|
AI and Machine Learning |
Reported growth of 20% to 34% |
Specialised AI knowledge is becoming important |
|
GCC and City-Level Hiring |
Demand from Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune |
More opportunities are emerging in technology hubs |
These figures are the estimates provided in the supplied material and should be checked against the original Naukri report before being treated as confirmed market-wide statistics.
Another important change is the growing use of automation in regular business operations. Companies are using tools to reduce repetitive work and improve reporting processes.
This does not mean that every traditional analytics role is disappearing. Instead, candidates who can combine data analysis with automation and AI knowledge may be better prepared for changing job requirements.
The NASSCOM-BCG Data & AI Skills Report provides additional context about the demand for skilled professionals in India’s technology industry.
The supplied material highlights a gap between the availability of skilled workers and the growing demand for professionals who can work with AI and analytics tools.
Here are the main findings mentioned in the report:
|
Report Indicator |
Statistical Finding |
Meaning for Job Seekers |
|
National AI Talent Gap |
Over 50% supply gap for specialised roles |
Learners need to develop relevant technical skills |
|
Market Expansion |
Indian AI market projected to reach $17 billion |
AI-related opportunities may continue to grow |
|
Experience Preference |
75%–80% of hiring targets the 0–5 year experience range |
Early-career candidates can explore these roles |
|
Role Transitions |
Growing movement from analytics towards AI-related work |
Additional training can support career development |
These figures should be verified with the original NASSCOM-BCG publication before being used as final industry statistics.
The main Report-hook is that companies increasingly value practical knowledge. Learning about AI is useful, but candidates also need to know how to apply it to real business problems.
For example, an analyst who understands SQL, Python, and AI-assisted reporting can work on more than basic data collection. They can also support data cleaning, automation, and business analysis.
A modern Data Analytics with AI Course + Data Analyst Jobs News should cover traditional analytics skills along with practical AI applications.
Students should first understand how data works. After building this foundation, they can move towards automation, machine learning, and advanced analysis.
SQL, Python, and Excel are useful tools for working with business data. They help analysts collect information, clean data, and prepare it for analysis.
Focus on these topics:
SQL: Learn advanced joins, subqueries, window functions, and database queries.
Python: Practise using Pandas and NumPy to clean and manage data.
Excel: Learn formulas, lookup functions, pivot tables, and data organisation.
Database management: Understand how data is stored and accessed in relational databases.
These skills help build a strong foundation for entry-level data analytics jobs.
Data is useful only when people can understand it. Business intelligence tools help analysts turn large amounts of data into simple reports and dashboards.
Students should learn:
Power BI and Tableau: Learn to create interactive dashboards and visual reports.
Data connections: Understand how dashboards connect with different data sources.
Business reporting: Track sales, revenue, customer behaviour, and other business metrics.
Data storytelling: Explain findings in simple language so that decision-makers can understand them.
Good reporting skills can help you present information clearly and support business decisions.
Machine learning and Generative AI are becoming important areas of modern data work. These technologies help professionals explore patterns, automate tasks, and analyse different types of information.
Important topics include:
Predictive analytics: Understand regression, classification, and customer churn prediction.
Scikit-learn: Learn the basics of building and testing machine learning models.
Generative AI: Use AI assistants to support coding, documentation, and data analysis.
Prompt engineering: Learn how to give clear instructions to AI tools.
Statistical testing: Understand hypothesis testing and A/B testing to evaluate business decisions.
Remember that AI tools can make mistakes. Analysts should always check the results and understand the methods used to produce them.
Technology hiring is not the same across every Indian city. Some locations have a larger number of technology companies, while others are growing as new business and technology centres develop.
The Naukri JobSpeak Index 2026 material highlights several cities that are attracting analytics and AI-related hiring.
Hyderabad is an important location for Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and technology companies. These centres support different business operations, including data management, reporting, and technology development.
The supplied material mentions more than 23% year-on-year growth in specialised GCC analytics hiring. This figure should be checked against the original index before publication.
Bengaluru continues to be an important technology hub. It has startups, product companies, and established technology businesses.
These organisations create opportunities for professionals interested in data analytics, business intelligence, and AI-based solutions.
Chennai and Pune have technology companies working across industries such as automotive, healthcare, and enterprise services.
As businesses use more data in their operations, candidates with analytics and reporting skills can explore opportunities in these locations.
Technology opportunities are also developing outside major metropolitan areas. Remote work and local business growth may create additional options for skilled professionals.
However, the number of openings and required skills can vary by company and location. Job seekers should regularly check current job descriptions before deciding where to apply.
Choosing the right Data Analytics with AI Course can help learners follow a structured learning path. It can also help them understand how different tools work together in real business situations.
A useful training programme should include the following features.
The course should cover tools and concepts that appear in current analytics job descriptions.
These may include SQL, Python, Excel, Power BI, machine learning basics, and Generative AI tools.
Practical projects help students apply what they learn. Instead of only reading about data analysis, learners should work with datasets and solve business problems.
Some useful project ideas include:
Creating a sales performance dashboard.
Building a customer segmentation report.
Analysing customer churn.
Preparing an automated reporting workflow.
Exploring fraud-related patterns in sample financial data.
These projects can help learners understand how analytics is used in different industries.
Career preparation is another important part of learning. Students should receive guidance on creating a clear resume, presenting their projects, and preparing for technical interviews.
Useful activities include resume reviews, mock interviews, SQL practice, and portfolio development.
A training course can provide learning support, but job selection depends on individual skills, performance, experience, and employer requirements.
Completing a course is only one part of your preparation. You should also create a portfolio that shows what you can do.
A good portfolio helps recruiters understand your technical knowledge and practical experience.
Follow these steps to build one:
Upload projects to GitHub: Add Python scripts, SQL queries, and Jupyter notebooks with clear explanations and comments.
Create interactive dashboards: Build Power BI or Tableau dashboards using sample business datasets.
Show AI integration: Include a project that uses AI tools for data processing, documentation, or analysis.
Write project case studies: Explain the business problem, tools used, steps followed, and results.
Share your work: Add relevant project links to your resume and professional profiles.
For example, you can create a customer sales dashboard using Excel, SQL, and Power BI. You can then explain how you cleaned the data, identified trends, and presented the findings.
These projects give you practical examples that you can share during job interviews.

