Entry-level digital marketing hiring remains steady, Kraftshala report flags skill shift

Varun Satia said recruiters are hiring selectively with sharper expectations from early-career candidates

New Delhi, January 21, 2026: Entry-level digital marketing hiring in India remained steady through 2025, with recruiters placing greater emphasis on skills and role readiness, according to Kraftshala’s Digital Marketing Hiring Trends Report 2025.
The report is based on an analysis of more than 750 entry-level roles offered through Kraftshala’s placement processes across its flagship programs. The findings point to sustained hiring activity at the early-career level, alongside a shift in how employers assess and select candidates.

Agencies continued to drive the bulk of hiring, accounting for close to 70 percent of entry-level roles. Brand-side hiring volumes were lower, but the report noted that these roles were 62 percent more likely to offer higher CTCs, reflecting expectations around ownership, analytical ability, and direct business impact.
Hiring remained concentrated in major metros. Delhi-NCR accounted for 30 percent of roles, followed by Bangalore at 27 percent and Mumbai at 18 percent. Together, these cities made up more than three-fourths of all entry-level opportunities. At the same time, cities such as Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, and Chandigarh showed increased participation, pointing to a gradual geographic expansion.

Workplace preferences showed limited change during the year. The report found that 91.5 percent of roles in 2025 were in-office or hybrid, with employers continuing to prioritise collaboration, faster learning cycles, and on-ground problem-solving for early-career hires.
The report also highlighted a shift in the types of roles attracting entry-level talent. Growth marketing, e-commerce and D2C, programmatic roles, account management, and brand marketing emerged as some of the more in-demand and higher-paying opportunities.

Varun Satia, Founder and CEO of Kraftshala, said entry-level digital marketing hiring in India is becoming more deliberate rather than slowing down. He said recruiters are continuing to hire, but with sharper expectations around fundamentals, application of skills, and readiness for real-world work.
Recruitment processes also evolved during 2025. As AI tools made resumes and assignments easier to standardise, recruiters placed greater emphasis on live problem-solving, case-based discussions, and practical exercises, making hiring processes more competitive but also clearer for prepared candidates.

At Prittle PrattleNews, featuring you virtuously, we celebrate the commitment and innovation. Led by Editor-in-Chief Smruti Bhalerao, our platform is dedicated to sharing impactful stories that inspire change and create awareness. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for more stories that matter.