Festive Season 2025 Expected to Generate Up to 2 Lakh Jobs in India
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The 2025 festive season is expected to generate up to 2 lakh new employment opportunities in India, with around 70% likely to be gig work, according to a report released on Thursday. The NLB Services report highlights that India’s festive economy has always played a crucial role in boosting consumer spending, and this year, seasonal demand is driving a structural shift in the employment model.
The festive season, which started earlier this year, could create jobs across key sectors such as retail, e-commerce, logistics, and consumer services. Hiring during the festive period is expected to increase by 20-25% compared to last year. Significant investments in supply chain and last-mile delivery infrastructure are accelerating growth in quick commerce and third-party logistics. Out of the new jobs, 70% are expected to be gig roles while 30% will be permanent positions, indicating that companies are adopting a blended workforce model to balance flexibility with scalability.
NLB Services CEO Sachin Alug said, “Over 35% of businesses are now rethinking festive hiring as a component of their long-term talent strategy. We are seeing companies invest in pre-festive skilling initiatives and revisiting workforce diversity goals.” Additionally, the report mentions that several major Q-commerce and e-commerce players plan to retain 26% of the increased workforce even after the festive season, signaling a structural shift in employment practices.
Recruitment in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities is also expected to rise significantly, strengthening their role as active growth centers. Cities like Bhubaneswar, Kochi, Indore, Surat, and Nagpur could see a 30-40% increase in gig work. With these cities emerging as micro-fulfillment hubs for retail and e-commerce, Tier-2 cities accounted for 47% of total gig hiring during the previous festive season. This share is projected to rise to 50% in FY26. Alug added, “While metros like Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi continue to lead in volume demand, the real growth trend is clearly moving towards Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, where talent supply is strong and operational costs are lower.”