Mumbai: Hiring in India’s Media and Entertainment sector is witnessing a gradual but meaningful uptick, according to the latest TeamLease Employment Outlook Report. Net Employment Change (NEC) has risen to 2.9% in HY1 FY2026-27, up from 1.2% in the previous half-year — driven by stabilising digital monetisation models and renewed content investments across platforms. The outlook reflects growing demand across OTT, gaming, and regional content ecosystems.
The findings are based on a survey of 1,268 employers across 23 industries and 20 cities, conducted between November 2025 and January 2026.
Cautious but Confident Expansion
While 54% of employers expect hiring to increase, 21% expect no change, and 25% anticipate reductions — indicating a period of cautious expansion as companies balance growth with profitability and operational efficiency.
OTT, Gaming, and Digital Content Fuel New Roles
Demand is rising for digital content creators, animation and VFX specialists, performance marketers, and data analysts, as platforms scale content production and audience engagement strategies across formats and languages. Sales and Marketing leads as the top job function with 45% of employers interested in hiring, followed by Finance at 33% and Blue Collar roles at 27%.
Selective Hiring Reflects a Shift Toward Monetisation and Efficiency
Around 25% of employers expect hiring reductions, particularly as companies optimise costs, streamline content pipelines, and leverage automation and analytics to improve returns on content investments. The industry is moving steadily toward digital-first and tech-enabled talent — with roles in digital production, ad-tech, analytics, and platform technology marking a clear shift from traditional media operations to data-driven, platform-led content ecosystems.
Top Hiring Locations
Mumbai continues to lead as the top talent hub, attracting 23% of hiring activity, followed by Chennai at 20% and Pune at 16%.
Balasubramanian A, Senior Vice President, TeamLease Services, said, “The increase in NEC to +2.9% signals a gradual recovery in media and entertainment hiring, driven by the growth of OTT, gaming, and digital content platforms. As the industry shifts toward sustainable monetisation and platform-led models, hiring is becoming more focused on digital, analytics, and content technology capabilities. The future workforce will be leaner, more agile, and deeply aligned with evolving consumer consumption patterns.”
