New Delhi, Oct 30 : Ahead of the festive season, India witnessed a significant 61 per cent (year-on-year) increase in women applicants during the July-September period this year compared to the previous year, a new report said on Monday. According to leading jobs and professional networking platform apna.co, the increase in women applicants indicates a growing demand for women professionals across industries, as companies tend to experience heightened activity during the festive season, especially in sectors like e-commerce, retail and hospitality. As per the insights, the job market landscape experienced a significant transformation from 2022 to 2023, particularly in the top five job categories -- telecalling, accounts, business development, marketing, and delivery. The festive season saw active participation from leading companies like Bajaj, Axis Bank, Paytm, Flipkart and Reliance, who offered attractive incentives to secure top talent. "We've observed a significant rise in women applicants and changing job seeker preferences over the past year. Looking ahead, we anticipate further transformations in the employment landscape as we continue to empower professionals and bridge the gap between job seekers and employers," said Nirmit Parikh, Founder and CEO, apna.co. Moreover, the report showed that more than 1.2 lakh job openings were recorded in August and September 2023 across key Indian cities, reflecting a surge in hiring demand ahead of the festive season. City-wise demand revealed unique patterns, such as in Delhi, there was a preference for roles in Sales & Marketing, Customer Support & Sales, and Accounting Technicians positions while Mumbai displayed high demand for Finance & HR, Sales & Marketing, and Business Development roles, the report mentioned. /IANS