Campus Hiring in India Looks Promising for 2025-26
Good news for fresh graduates in India! A new report reveals that campus hiring is picking up steam, with 73% of organizations expecting moderate to high business growth. This positive vibe is fueling a stronger push to bring in new talent compared to last year.
The ‘Campus Study Report 2025-26’ from Aon, based on insights from over 220 organizations, highlights the hottest sectors leading the charge. Financial services, life sciences, and consumer goods top the list for optimism. But don’t count out information technology, industrials, materials, and healthcare—they’re all ramping up demand for freshers too.
What’s driving this? More than 40% of companies plan to grow their workforce by over 10% in FY26. Even with global economic hurdles, this signals a solid recovery in India’s job market, especially for campus recruitment.
That said, salary hikes aren’t skyrocketing just yet. Compensation growth for fresh graduates stays modest. For MBA and engineering grads, the total cost to company (TCC) sees only small bumps, mostly from juicy joining bonuses and performance-linked pay rather than big fixed salary increases. Organizations love incentives—variable pay hovers around 10-12%, and 67% of employers offer short-term bonuses to MBA hires.
"India’s campus hiring is changing fast," says Roopank Chaudhary, Partner and Head of Data Solutions for Aon in India. Companies are ditching mass hiring for a smarter approach: targeting candidates with the right skills, starting early engagement, and focusing on long-term retention.
The report also spotlights a big shift toward workplace culture and diversity in hiring. Over half the organizations say cultural fit directly boosts performance, and nearly 90% now check for it during interviews. Gender diversity is a hot priority too—50% of firms set specific gender ratio goals across their talent pool. To hit these targets, more than 30% are even scouting beyond their go-to colleges.
"Campus hiring isn’t just about filling seats anymore—it’s about building the organization’s future," adds Saachi Verma, Associate Director of Talent Solutions for India at Aon and the report’s lead author. She emphasizes that strong learning programs and a solid employee value proposition will help attract and keep top talent in this competitive freshers job market.
Overall, if you’re a student or recent grad eyeing campus placements in India, 2025-26 could be your time to shine. Keep building those skills, and stay tuned for more updates on fresher jobs and hiring trends!
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