Festive hiring in India likely to rise up to 20 pc as demand shifts to specialised frontline roles
New Delhi, Aug 12
Temporary hiring across India's organised retail, e‑commerce, quick commerce, logistics, FMCG and consumer durables is expected to grow 15-20 per cent this festive season, with employers moving beyond volume recruitment toward specialised frontline roles to support a longer sales calendar and faster fulfilment, a report said on Wednesday.
The report from TeamLease Services said South and West India including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad will lead hiring growth.
Tier I metros are expected to account for 40.5 per cent of the frontline workforce in 2026, up from 38.2 per cent in 2025 and 33.1 per cent in 2024.
Tier II cities are expected to account for 26.5 per cent, while Tier III markets will contribute 33 per cent.
The growing concentration in metros is being driven by the rapid scaling of e-commerce and quick-commerce networks, particularly dark stores and hyperlocal fulfilment infrastructure. Meanwhile, Tier II and III markets continue to see absolute workforce growth, supported by expanding retail and logistics footprints.
Balasubramanian A, Senior Vice President, TeamLease Services said employers are focusing equally on speed, productivity, and customer experience, leading to increased demand for specialised operational roles.
"Organisations are also investing more in incentives, digital onboarding, and workforce readiness to ensure seamless execution during the festive period," he added.
The report identified warehouse pickers, packers and dark-store personnel as the largest hiring categories this festive season, followed by in‑store promoters, retail associates.
Demand is also rising for newer operational roles such as inventory and fulfilment coordinators, warehouse automation operators and returns management executives, reflecting the increasing sophistication of India's retail supply chains.
Employers are increasingly deploying attendance bonuses, sale-event surge pay, referral incentives, productivity-linked rewards and digital learning programmes to improve retention during peak demand.
The report also highlighted paperless onboarding, pre-assessed talent pools and cross-functional training as key workforce strategies helping businesses shorten hiring cycles and improve deployment readiness.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I'm happy about the hiring growth, but why is the focus always on metros? Tier 2 and 3 cities have so much potential. The report says they'll see absolute growth, but we need better infrastructure and policies to truly unlock those markets. Just my two paise.
The demand for dark-store personnel and quick commerce roles is exploding in cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad. As someone in logistics, I can vouch that the speed of delivery expectations has changed completely. Specialised training is the need of the hour – great to see companies investing in digital onboarding.
I hope these 15-20% projections are accurate and not just hype. Every year we hear about festive hiring, but issues like job security and fair pay remain. And "attendance bonuses" sound great, but they often come with unrealistic targets for frontline workers. Just saying. 🤔
Finally, returns management is getting the attention it deserves! With e-commerce returns piling up every festive season, this is a smart move. Specialised roles mean better efficiency and less headache for consumers like us. Kudos to companies for adopting paperless onboarding too – will save so much time. 🙌
I wonder if these temporary roles will become permanent after the festive rush. "Productivity-linked rewards" sound good, but many workers in my neighbourhood who joined for last Diwali were let go after January. Let’s hope companies focus on retention beyond just incentives and surge pay. 🎯
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.