LinkedIn has released its second edition of the Cities on the Rise list 2026, and lists 10 non-metro Indian cities where hiring, job postings and worker migration have grown fastest between March 2024 and February 2026. According to LinkedIn, nearly 72 per cent of professionals in India are actively looking for new job opportunities this year. About 76 per cent say job hunting has become harder due to more competition and a growing skills gap linked to AI.
For those looking for jobs, this list highlights cities where recruitment is increasing beyond the major metropolitan areas.
Why Visakhapatnam topped the list
Visakhapatnam has topped the list for the second consecutive year. The coastal Andhra Pradesh city is pulling in large investments, Google's USD 15 billion AI hub and Reliance's ₹1.6-lakh-crore data centre project among them, along with expansion by Infosys, Cognizant and Accenture.
|
Rank |
City |
|
1 |
Visakhapatnam |
|
2 |
Ludhiana |
|
3 |
Surat |
|
4 |
Vadodara |
|
5 |
Prayagraj |
|
6 |
Rajkot |
|
7 |
Jabalpur |
|
8 |
Ranchi |
|
9 |
Raipur |
|
10 |
Vijayawada |
What's the driving force for other cities?
- Ludhiana moved up to No. 2 because of growth in manufacturing, aviation and hospitality
- Surat's growth is being driven by exports, startup activity and the bullet train project underway
- Vadodara made the list because it's attracting more businesses and long-term investment. Companies are choosing to set up there
- Prayagraj's growth is coming from tourism. A new metro line is coming up, along with an expressway and more hotels and homestays for visitors, and this is creating more jobs
- Meanwhile, Vijayawada dropped from third place last year to 10th this year.
10 fastest-growing cities for new talent
According to LinkedIn report, apart from the usual metropolitan clusters of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, young talent, professionals under 25, is concentrated in a handful of India's Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. In Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, around 26.09 per cent of the professionals are under 25 followed by Visakhapatnam (25.79 per cent), Ranchi (24.66 per cent), Jabalpur (24.61 per cent), Ludhiana (21.45 per cent).
|
City |
Young professionals under 25 |
|
|
1 |
Prayagraj |
26.09% |
|
2 |
Visakhapatnam |
25.79% |
|
3 |
Ranchi |
24.66% |
|
4 |
Jabalpur |
24.61% |
|
5 |
Ludhiana |
21.45% |
|
6 |
Surat |
21.07% |
|
7 |
Raipur |
20.98% |
|
8 |
Rajkot |
19.18% |
|
9 |
Vijayawada |
17.63% |
|
10 |
Vadodara |
16.52% |
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