Tier II Cities Emerging as India’s New IT Hubs: CloudThat’s Survey Highlights Regional Certification Trends
Bangalore, 23rd September 2025: CloudThat’s Indian IT Certification and Salary Survey 2025 highlights how certifications are shaping India’s talent landscape. While Tier I cities such as Bangalore, Pune, and Mumbai continue to dominate as certification hotspots, the findings point to a notable shift-Tier II cities are steadily emerging as promising IT hubs, fueled by a rising demand for skilled and certified professionals.
The survey, which covered 25 states and over 113 cities, found that certifications remain a key differentiator in employability and salary growth across regions. Professionals with certifications earn up to 53% higher salaries than their non-certified peers, with cities like Bangalore and Pune showing the sharpest differentials. For instance, certified professionals in Bangalore earn an average of ₹18.3 lakh annually at mid-to-senior levels, compared to ₹12.2 lakh for non-certified counterparts.
At the same time, Tier II cities such as Nagpur, Visakhapatnam, and Bhubaneswar are gaining momentum as rising IT hubs. With multinational firms expanding operations beyond metros, these cities are witnessing increased hiring for cloud, cybersecurity, and consulting roles. Certified professionals in Tier II regions are best positioned to capture these opportunities, as organizations prefer talent equipped with specialized, job-ready skills.
The survey also indicates a demographic shift-20% of certified professionals are now based in Tier II cities, underscoring their growing importance in India’s IT ecosystem. Furthermore, students and career-switchers from non-IT backgrounds in these regions are increasingly pursuing certifications in Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Data Science, preparing themselves for consulting, software development, and cybersecurity roles.
As Tier II cities evolve into strong IT destinations, certifications are becoming the bridge that connects aspiring professionals to high-value opportunities. This trend signals a democratization of India’s tech workforce-where skill, not geography, defines success.”
With India’s tech industry projected to touch $350 billion by 2030 and the workforce expected to grow to 75 lakh professionals, certifications are set to play a pivotal role in fueling both regional and national growth.