LinkedIn on Wednesday released the second edition of its Cities on the Rise 2026 list, naming 10 non-metro Indian cities that are emerging as fast-growing employment hubs. Visakhapatnam topped the rankings, followed by Ludhiana, Surat, Vadodara and Prayagraj, pointing to the growing weight of Tier-2 cities in India’s job market.
Nearly 72 per cent of professionals in India are actively looking for new job opportunities this year, according to the professional networking platform. The report also found that 76 per cent of professionals believe job hunting has become more challenging, citing intensifying competition and widening skills gaps driven by the growing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Since 2022, the average number of applications submitted for a single job opening has more than doubled. The report also identifies infrastructure projects across Tier-2 cities as a key driver of job creation. Prayagraj’s metro network and the Ganga Expressway, Rajkot’s international airport, Jabalpur’s road upgrades, Vijayawada’s improved connectivity to Tier-1 cities such as Hyderabad, and Ranchi’s smart city initiatives are cited as developments opening up opportunities across hospitality, IT, manufacturing and business services. The report finds that IT services and technology consulting rank among the top three hiring industries in all 10 cities, while banking and financial services feature in eight of them.
Against this backdrop, the report positions these emerging cities as offering professionals a wider range of industries and employers, allowing many to pursue career growth without relocating to major metropolitan centres. The full list: Visakhapatnam Ludhiana Surat Vadodara Prayagraj Rajkot Jabalpur Ranchi Raipur Vijayawada The report shows how these job hubs are moving past the sectors they have long been known for. Visakhapatnam, along with its established strength in ports, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing, has now added major AI, data centre and technology investments to its economy. Ludhiana has widened its job market by adding steel, aviation and hospitality to its manufacturing base. Surat now extends beyond textiles and diamonds into startups, exports and real estate, while Vadodara has brought in tech, engineering and enterprise investment alongside its existing chemicals and machinery sectors. Vijayawada, too, has added IT and e-governance companies to its commercial economy. Top recruiters in these domains include HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Larsen & Toubro, Reliance Group companies, HCL Tech, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Concentrix. Educational institutions also figure among the leading employers, with Banaras Hindu University, Lovely Professional University, KL University and the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad named in the report. Get the latest Education News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.