Fresh graduate hiring sentiment across Indian companies is gradually improving, with 21%-31% companies in sectors such as IT, ecommerce, telecommunication, tech startups, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, logistics and manufacturing companies looking at hiring ‘freshers’ in the second half of 2021, reports The Economic Times citing a report from staffing firm TeamLease. The overall fresher hiring intent of 661 companies across sectors has improved to 17% for the second half of 2021 from 15% in the first half of the year. Freshers comprise those with either no work experience or up to a year of work experience. "We see a rebound in the freshers' hiring sentiments, almost across industry segments. Some of this is surely pent-up hiring, several organisations lost a large part of their workforce due to the forced lockdowns," said Shantanu Rooj, CEO, TeamLease Edtech, a subsidiary of staffing firm TeamLease. Fresher hiring sentiment is the strongest for Bengaluru (more than 40%), followed by Mumbai and Delhi.