Karnataka emerges as top state in Positive Talent Balance: Report

Net talent positivity is assessed based on a state or city's ability to absorb, retain, and facilitate talent corridor movements

India has just nine talent positive states, and IT hub Karnataka has emerged on the top spot in the pecking order, a report said.

 

Karnataka was followed by Haryana, Telangana, Maharashtra and Gujarat with a high talent balance, according to Annual Study of Indian States for Talent Corridors and Talent Exchange Patterns by Xpheno -- a specialist staffing company.

 

The net talent positive is based on the ability of the state/city in talent absorption, retention, and talent corridor movements.

 

Karnataka has achieved a milestone with the highest positive talent base (PTB) among nine Indian states that emerged talent positive. Karnataka’s PTB of 63,500 for the 12-month period ending October 2024 was achieved with 136,500 white-collar professionals being absorbed from other states, while 73,000 professionals transitioned out of the state.

 

 

Haryana has a PTB of 22,200, Telangana has 20,200, Maharashtra has PTB at 10,800 and Gujarat has 7,400. 

 

 

Kamal Karanth, co-founder of Xpheno, said, “Emerging as the top state with highest positive talent balance is a crucial factor in further building the state’s reputation as a leading talent brand for domestic and global enterprises alike. Through continuous investments in infrastructure, forward looking policies, and targeted business incentives, Karnataka has strengthened its stronghold as a leading global talent brand.”

 

The state’s active white-collar talent base now stands at 59.7 lakh, with 64 per cent having a minimum working experience of one year.

 

Bengaluru is the dominant location in Karnataka, holding 3.4 million of the experienced white-collar talent pool.

 

The state’s active white-collar talent pool now totals 5.97 million, with 64 per cent having at least one year of working experience. Interest from jobseekers is strong, with 3.2 million candidates from across India expressing a preference for opportunities in Karnataka, including 1.7 million from other megacities.

 

Karnataka’s IT/ITeS sector is the lead employment sector for active white-collar talent. More than one-third (1.43 million) of the active experienced talent pool is engaged by the IT/ITeS Sector.

 

The top states that also contribute to the influx of talent in Bengaluru include Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Almost 59 per cent of the total talent by Karnataka comes from these states.

 

Maharashtra leads the list of states to which Karnataka loses talent to, followed by Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Delhi.

 

When it comes to attracting talent from international regions, the top 5 corridors that account for 68 per cent of total talent absorbed by Karnataka include the US, UAE, UK, Germany and Canada.

 

The other end of the ranking with talent negative states or states with negative talent balance (NTB) has Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar with NTBs between negative 9,000 and negative 18,000.