Product Management Hiring Trends Insights Report 2025
Insights from 110+ Campus Hiring Events in the Last 8 Months Reveal Salary Trends, Skills in Demand, and Career Pathways for Product Managers in India
- Career
- 5 min read
By Arnould Joseph– Product Marketing Manager
The past ten years have seen product management evolve in India from a niche role to being one of the most powerful professions in the technology-oriented economy. Companies across industries are investing in product leaders who can combine market insight, technology fluency, and data-driven decision-making.
The year 2025 marks an important inflection point. Demand for product managers is accelerating, yet the distribution of opportunities is shifting across company types and role levels. Salaries are rising, but employers are becoming more selective about the skills they value.
At the Institute of Product Leadership (IPL), this transformation is observed firsthand. Over the last eight months, IPL’s Career Assistance Platform hosted more than 110 hiring events connecting startups, mid-sized companies, and multinational corporations, including Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, PayPal, Bosch, Lowe’s, Tata Elxsi, Citrix, Amadeus, Licious, TVS Electronics, and many more, with candidates. These engagements not only resulted in real job offers but also generated a rich dataset that underpins the findings presented in this report.
The Product Management Hiring Trends Insights Report 2025 distils those insights into a clear picture of where the profession stands today and where it is headed.
Strong Growth, But Unevenly Spread
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- Senior roles grew by 87 percent
- Junior roles rose by 16 percent
- Leadership positions now command salaries upwards of 75 lakh per annum
- Junior product managers earn between 10 and 15 lakh per annum.
- Senior professionals begin at 40 lakh and above.
- Leadership positions cross 75 lakh.
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The Shift from Startups to Mid-size Firms and MNCs
Growth is not evenly distributed across company types. Startups are hiring less, while mid-size firms and multinational corporations are expanding aggressively.
- Startups recorded a 58 percent decline in junior positions and a 33 percent decline in senior positions
- Mid-size firms showed a 243 percent increase in junior roles and a 150 percent increase in senior roles
- Multinational corporations saw a 255 percent increase in senior hiring
These trends indicate a redefined career path. Mid-size companies now serve as a launchpad for early and mid-career growth, while multinational corporations are the preferred destination for senior professionals aiming for leadership positions.
Skills Employers Value Most
Data from more than 30 job descriptions and 20 case challenges shared during IPL’s hiring events highlights consistent employer expectations.
- Core product management skills such as research, roadmap planning, and go-to-market execution remain fundamental
- Technical fluency is now a basic requirement, such as ease with product tools, technology stack, and data analysis.
- A data-centric mentality is a usual prerequisite, and employers are looking to find candidates who are capable of utilizing and interpreting insights.
Other attributes that include communication skills, customer focus, and market research are still significant, yet the most significant is the intersection of product, technology, and data.
A Strategic Career Playbook
The Product Management Hiring Trends Insights Report 2025 provides a practical framework for professionals:
- Strengthen core skills by combining product fundamentals with technical fluency and analytical depth
- Target mid-size companies for the fastest growth in hiring across levels
- Progress to multinational corporations for senior and leadership roles, which now represent the largest share of high-value opportunities
This strategy enables professionals to maximise both career growth and earning potential in the evolving product management landscape.
Employers Behind the Data
From early-stage startups to scaling firms and global corporations, a wide range of companies came to IPL’s hiring events between January and August 2025. The consistent participation across industries positions Institute of Product Leadership as the country’s most active hub for product management recruitment.
Why This Report Matters
Product management careers in India are often guided by assumptions or fragmented information. This report provides clarity backed by first-party employer data. For students entering the workforce, mid-career professionals seeking transition, or senior leaders preparing for larger responsibilities, the report serves as both a reference and a roadmap.
This Report contains the complete findings, including salary benchmarks, detailed role distributions, sector-level insights, and recommendations from real hiring activity.
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