India to generate 2.5L seasonal, gig jobs this festive season
What's the story
India is expected to create between 2-2.5 lakh seasonal and gig jobs during the July-December festive season of 2026, a report by NLB Services has said. The festive hiring is likely to grow by 15-20%, with businesses across sectors like e-commerce, retail, logistics and others expanding their workforce. This period is one of the busiest times of the year for demand in various industries including quick commerce and hospitality services.
Strategic shift
Employers hiring earlier, looking beyond traditional talent hubs
Varun Sachdeva, SVP and APAC Head at NLB Services, said the festive season is a "real-time stress test for India's workforce."
He added that employers are hiring earlier and looking beyond traditional talent hubs.
They are also increasingly relying on technology-enabled, flexible talent.
This trend is no longer just a short-term response to seasonal demand but has become a strategic opportunity to access new talent pools and create pathways for long-term employment.
Planning ahead
Demand planning ahead of the festive peak
The report highlights that employers are now planning their workforce nearly 12-14 weeks ahead of the festive peak.
This early planning allows them to build talent pools in advance and ease the pressure of compressed hiring cycles.
As demand becomes more concentrated into shorter windows, being ready with a workforce is becoming a competitive advantage for businesses.
Job sectors
New-age operational roles to see growth
The report also notes that last-mile delivery, warehousing and fulfillment, retail sales, customer experience will continue to drive a major share of seasonal requirements.
There is expected to be a 15-20% growth in new-age operational roles such as dark-store inventory controllers and returns/refunds specialists.
Even traditionally operational roles are becoming more reliant on digital platforms, data automation and real-time decision-making.
Geographic distribution
Tier II and III cities to contribute
The report also highlights a geographic shift in festive hiring, with tier II and III cities expected to contribute about 45% of the total festive hiring demand. Hiring in these markets is expected to grow by 25-30%.
The growth of e-commerce, quick commerce and organized retail is driving demand across cities like Jaipur, Lucknow, and Indore, among others.