As India’s Industrial growth evolves, tier-2 cities are rapidly emerging as dynamic employment hubs, offering competitive job opportunities once limited to metropolitan regions. This shift marks a significant decentralization of talent and investment, making cities like Visakhapatnam on the East Coast, critical to India’s future economic fabric. This is enabled due to strategic investments in the creation of robust infrastructure and promotion of sectoral diversification.
The rapid employment growth in Visakhapatnam is being propelled by six key sectors: IT, Logistics, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Fisheries, and Tourism. The city’s IT sector is gaining significant momentum, driven by large-scale investments from industry giants. Pharmaceuticals continue to thrive, anchored by two major hotspots—Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City (JNPC) and the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ). The manufacturing sector is witnessing steady expansion through industrial corridors and mega projects such as the upcoming AM/NS steel plant. Logistics is on the rise, supported by port-led development and enhanced multimodal connectivity. Meanwhile, fisheries and tourism are flourishing, fuelled by widespread processing clusters and a growing number of popular attractions.
This article offers employers a strategic view of investment and hiring opportunities, and job seekers a clear understanding of high-demand roles across key industries in Vishakapatnam.
Growth by Industries
Information Technology (IT)
Visakhapatnam is emerging as one of India’s leading non-metro cities in the country’s technology ecosystem, according to LinkedIn’s Cities on the Rise 2025 report. The city is witnessing significant momentum in talent development and IT sector expansion. Andhra Pradesh’s average annual IT turnover ranges between ₹2,500 to ₹3,000 crore, with approximately 200 IT companies contributing to this growth, around 80% of which are based in Visakhapatnam.
In the first half of 2025, Visakhapatnam recorded a 50% surge in IT hiring, outperforming several traditional metro hubs. This upward trend is driven by major industry investments and strategic policy initiatives.
Tech giants such as Cognizant and TCS have announced plans to establish dedicated campus facilities in the city, with proposed investments of ₹1,582 crore and ₹1,370 crore, respectively. These projects are expected to generate approximately 8,000 and 12,000 new jobs. In addition, the ANSR Group intends to set up a Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Madhurawada, aiming to create 10,000 employment opportunities over the next five years.
To further accelerate growth, the Andhra Pradesh government is developing a 500-acre “Data City” near Madhurawada, modelled similarly to Hyderabad’s HITEC City. Complementing this initiative, the Adani Group is setting up two large-scale data centres—one in Madhurawada with an investment of ₹21,844 crore and another in Kapuluppada with ₹7,210 crore.
Pharmaceuticals
The pharmaceutical sector within the Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone (SEZ) contributed ₹8,971 crore in exports as of August 2021, out of the total ₹20,500 crore registered by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Visakhapatnam continues to play a vital role in advancing the state’s pharmaceutical industry, particularly in the export of bulk drugs and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).
A key driver of this growth is the Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City (JNPC) in Parawada—India’s first integrated pharmaceutical SEZ—spanning approximately 2,400 acres. With a cumulative investment of ₹25,000 crore, JNPC creates over 30,000 job opportunities and hosts several major pharma firms. In addition to this, the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ ), located in Nadupuru, spreads across 270 acres. AMTZ is home to more than 100 med-tech companies and is recognised as one of India’s leading medical device manufacturing and testing hubs. It played a pivotal role during the COVID‑19 pandemic by supporting the production of ventilators, oxygen concentrators, and RT-PCR kits.
Manufacturing
The manufacturing sector in Visakhapatnam is on a growth trajectory. As of June 2025, the GDP of the Visakha Economic Region stands at approximately US$49 billion, with strategic plans in place to scale it up to US$120 billion by 2032. This expansion will be supported by seven manufacturing nodes and six operational ports. The Visakhapatnam–Chennai Industrial Corridor, a critical component of India’s East Coast Economic Corridor, is expected to raise manufacturing’s contribution to the regional GDP from 9.4% in 2017 to over 20% by 2045, potentially generating around 9.5 million jobs.
This economic momentum is mirrored in industrial real estate trends. In FY 2023, warehousing demand rose by 265%, increasing from 3 lakh sq. m. to 11 lakh sq. m. Manufacturing-related activities accounted for 33% of this demand. Madhurawada and the Gajuwaka–Auto Nagar industrial clusters were key drivers of warehouse leasing, indicating robust supply chain expansion aligning with production growth.
Further boosting the industrial landscape, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS India) is set to establish an integrated steel plant in Andhra Pradesh. With a proposed capacity of approximately 7.3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), the project will be developed in phases between 2029 and 2033, supported by incentives worth ₹28,000 crore from the AP government.
Logistics
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has identified Visakhapatnam as a future logistics capital of India’s East Coast, owing to its robust infrastructure and strategic port capacity of about 200 million metric tonnes (MMT). Under the Gati-Shakti National Master Plan, there is a strong emphasis on developing truck terminals, dedicated freight corridors, and multimodal logistics parks to further streamline supply chains and reduce operational inefficiencies.
During the first half of FY 2024–25 (April to September), the Visakhapatnam Port Authority handled 41.79 MMT of cargo, marking a 6% year-on-year increase from 39.60 MMT in the corresponding period the previous year. This growth is largely attributed to higher production and handling of key commodities such as crude oil, LPG, and coal.
To enhance logistics efficiency and competitiveness, the Andhra Pradesh government has announced an investment plan of ₹20,000 crore for the development of highways, port connectivity, and intermodal infrastructure. The objective is to reduce logistics costs from the current 15.7% of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) to a more competitive 7–8%. In May 2025. Indian Railways conducted inspections at rail sidings and loading points across Visakhapatnam and Gangavaram Ports to improve cargo throughput by increasing rake allocations and optimizing rake turnaround times.
Fisheries
With a coastline stretching approximately 67 km, Visakhapatnam district is a major contributor to Andhra Pradesh’s fisheries sector. The district hosts 14 seafood processing plants, 17 ice plants, 25 cold storage units, 15 shrimp hatcheries, and 15 fish landing centers—creating a robust supply chain for marine production and export activities.
In 2021–22, Andhra Pradesh’s marine exports reached 1.369 million tonnes, valued at ₹57,586 crore (approximately US$7.76 billion). Notably, Visakhapatnam Port alone handled 247,755 tonnes, accounting for 27.39% of the state’s total marine export volume.
To further strengthen this sector, the Andhra Pradesh government has proposed the construction of nine new fishing harbours at an estimated cost of ₹3,502 crore. This initiative is expected to create approximately 1.21 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities, facilitate annual fish landings of around 4.02 lakh tonnes, and contribute an estimated ₹8,038 crore to the state’s GSDP.
Tourism
In 2024, Visakhapatnam district witnessed approximately 2.04 crore tourists—an increase of around 22 lakh compared to 2023. The district accounts for nearly 24% of the total tourism footfall in Andhra Pradesh, contributing to an estimated 6.1 crore tourist visits annually. Key attractions that draw both domestic and international visitors include Ramakrishna Beach, Rushikonda Beach, the INS Kurusura Submarine Museum, Borra Caves, Araku Valley, and Simhachalam Temple.
To further accelerate tourism development, the Andhra Pradesh government introduced a new Tourism Policy (2024–2029), aiming to attract ₹25,000 crore in public-private partnership (PPP) investments. The policy also seeks to generate 20% of employment in the state through tourism-related activities.
Adventure water sports such as scuba diving and parasailing, eco-tourism experiences in Araku Valley, and signature events like the Araku Balloon Festival and Chali Festival draw significant tourists to Visakhapatnam. Additionally, institutions like IIM Visakhapatnam and IIPE are promoting educational tourism by organising workshops and short-term courses aimed at engaging the youth and diversifying the city’s tourism demographics.
At the Visakhapatnam Regional Tourism Investors Summit held in January 2025, eight Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed, totalling ₹1,217 crore. These projects are expected to add 825 hotel rooms and create over 2,500 jobs in the hospitality sector.
Infrastructure developments such as the under-construction Bhogapuram International Airport and the new Raipur–Visakhapatnam Expressway are anticipated to significantly enhance regional connectivity and further strengthen Visakhapatnam’s position as a leading tourism hub on the East Coast.
In-Demand Job Roles in Vishakapatnam in 2025
As of July 2025, according to Naukri.com, Visakhapatnam reported approximately 2441 active job openings across six key sectors: Information Technology (IT), pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, logistics, fisheries, and tourism. Among these, the Manufacturing sector led with 1019 vacancies, followed by logistics (845), fisheries (217), tourism (133), IT (117), and pharmaceuticals (60).
In the manufacturing sector, quality engineers dominated job listings, making up 73.9% of the openings. It was followed by Mechanical Engineers (24.7%), process engineers (1.2%) and production supervisors (0.2%).
The logistics sector exhibited the highest demand for warehouse operations executives, accounting for 61.7% of all logistics-related vacancies. This was followed by procurement officers (23.2%) and business development managers (9.5%). Other roles, such as supply chain analysts (5.6%) and transportation managers (0.1%), were in relatively lower demand.
The fisheries sector had the most openings for fisheries officers, representing 90.3% of the total. Fisheries biologists (5.1%) and production managers (4.6%) followed with modest demand.
Among IT roles, full-stack developers were the most in demand, constituting 66% of the openings. Data scientists (15%) and cloud architects (14%) were also sought after, while DevOps engineers (4%) and AI/ML engineers (1%) had fewer openings.
The tourism sector reported the highest demand for tourist guides, comprising 97.7% of the total job openings. Event managers (1.5%) and travel operators (0.8%) represented a very minimal proportion of the total demand.
Within the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory affairs specialists were the most sought-after professionals, accounting for 92% of vacancies. Quality assurance officers (7%) and production engineers (2%) had relatively fewer opportunities.
Visakhapatnam is rapidly positioning itself as a high-potential employment hub, offering diverse opportunities across sectors. The city’s IT industry is scaling fast with strategic investments and a thriving talent pool. Pharmaceuticals remain robust with established export hubs such as JNPC and AMTZ. Manufacturing is accelerating through corridor-led development and landmark projects. Logistics sustains port connectivity, while fisheries and tourism continue to generate employment through widespread value chains and increased tourist inflow.
For employers, it’s a potential landscape for investment and innovation; for job seekers, it provides promising future-ready careers and growth opportunities. As tier-2 cities gain prominence, Visakhapatnam isn’t just catching up with the metros—it’s leading the way in redefining India’s urban employment paradigm.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is Visakhapatnam emerging as a major employment hub?
2. Which industries are driving job creation in Visakhapatnam?
3. What job roles are currently in high demand in Visakhapatnam?
4. How is the IT sector evolving in Visakhapatnam?
5. How are government policies boosting tourism and employment in Visakhapatnam?
