Entry-Level Digital Marketing Hiring Holds Steady, Setting the Stage for Skill-Led Growth in 2026: Kraftshala’s Hiring Trends Report 2025

New Delhi, Jan 30: Kraftshala, India’s leading outcome-focused edtech platform for marketing and sales, has released its Digital Marketing Hiring Trends Report 2025, highlighting sustained momentum in entry-level digital marketing hiring and a distinctly skill-driven outlook for 2026.

The report analyses over 750 entry-level roles floated through Kraftshala’s placement processes across its flagship programs, offering a data-backed view of how hiring patterns are evolving for early-career marketers in India.

Agencies continued to dominate entry-level hiring, accounting for nearly 70% of all roles. Brands, while recruiting fewer candidates overall, demonstrated a sharper focus on depth of skill and ownership. Notably, brand-side roles were 62% more likely to offer higher CTCs, reflecting expectations around analytical thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and direct business impact.

From a geographic standpoint, India’s major metros remained the primary hiring hubs. Delhi-NCR (30%), Bangalore (27%), and Mumbai (18%) together accounted for over three-fourths of all entry-level roles. At the same time, cities such as Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, and Chandigarh showed rising participation, pointing to a gradual expansion of India’s digital marketing hiring footprint beyond the top three metros.

Workplace preferences remained largely consistent through 2025. As many as 91.5% of roles were in-office or hybrid, with employers continuing to prioritise collaboration, faster learning cycles, and hands-on problem-solving for early-career professionals.

The report also highlights a clear shift in demand toward high-impact roles. Growth marketing, e-commerce and D2C, programmatic, account management, and brand marketing emerged as some of the most sought-after—and better-paying—entry-level opportunities.

Commenting on the trend, Satish Kadu, CEO and Founder of YOptima, said,

“As brands push for measurable business outcomes, programmatic talent that can drive performance through data, automation, and cross-channel decisioning has become mission-critical.”

Expectations around AI proficiency at the entry level have also evolved. Shivaprasad Nair, Managing Director at Assembly Global, noted,

“AI is now basic hygiene for entry-level marketers. What sets candidates apart is learning agility—the ability to apply tools thoughtfully, interpret data, and adapt as workflows evolve.”

Sharing insights from the report, Varun Satia, Founder and CEO of Kraftshala, said,

“What 2025 clearly showed us is that entry-level digital marketing hiring in India is not slowing down—it’s maturing. As we move into 2026, there is real opportunity for candidates who build strong fundamentals and apply them thoughtfully. Recruiters are actively hiring, but they are being far more deliberate about the talent they bring in.”

The report also observes meaningful changes in recruitment processes. With the growing use of AI tools making resumes and assignments easier to standardise, recruiters increasingly moved away from automated screening. Instead, live problem-solving, case-based discussions, and practical exercises gained prominence—making hiring more competitive, but also more transparent for well-prepared candidates.