India projected to see 10 lakh jobs this festive season, gig jobs surge

The upcoming festive season in India is likely to see the creation of up to 10 lakh jobs with a notable surge in gig and female workforce participation, a report showed on Thursday. The festive season is expected to bring a significant boost in job opportunities, with a 35 per cent increase in both white-collar and blue-collar positions.

"Women are increasingly drawn to the flexibility and variety of roles available in the gig economy, including brand advocacy, beauty and grooming, online tutoring, domestic help, cab driving, and food delivery," according to NLB Services, a technology and digital talent solutions provider.

Many industries are gearing up for a rise in hiring, including retail, hotel, e-commerce, logistics, consumer goods, banking, financial services, insurance (BFSI), and retail, according to NLB Services, a technology and digital talent solutions provider.

Among these industries, e-commerce will see the highest demand with a 22 per cent increase over last year.

Sachin Alug, CEO of NLB Services, said that roles such as delivery drivers, customer service representatives, tech support specialists and freelance designers are expected to experience the highest demand.

"Salaries for these positions, currently ranging between Rs 12,000 and Rs 16,000, are projected to rise by 10-20 per cent over the next 3-4 months, driven by the surge in demand," he noted.

The e-commerce sector, in particular, is poised for a major surge in sales, driving a need for an extra workforce and leading to an uptick in both temporary and permanent hires.

According to the report, these jobs will cover various supply chain roles, including warehouse staff, inventory managers, logistics coordinators, kirana partners, and delivery drivers. As a result, it is anticipated that on days of peak demand from customers, the demand for gig delivery riders on rapid commerce platforms will increase by 30 per cent.

"Additional key drivers for increased hiring include consumer spending, seasonal business needs, economic indicators, and industry-specific trends," the findings showed.

Metro cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata have seen a 15 per cent rise in seasonal hiring compared to last year. Tier 2 cities like Nagpur, Jaipur, Vadodara, Kochi, Vizag, Madurai, Lucknow, Gurugram, Chandigarh, Indore, Coimbatore, Surat, Bhubaneswar and Bhopal are experiencing an even stronger growth ranging from 20 per cent to 25 per cent, said the report.