India’s Festive Season to Generate Over 2.16 Lakh Jobs in 2025
Mumbai: India’s festive season is set to generate over 2.16 lakh seasonal jobs, reflecting a 15-20% year-on-year rise in gig and temporary employment during H2 2025. Key sectors driving this surge include retail, e-commerce, BFSI, logistics, hospitality, travel, and FMCG.
Hiring Demand
Hiring activity has gained momentum in anticipation of marquee events such as Raksha Bandhan, Big Billion Days, Prime Day Sale, Dussehra, Diwali, and the wedding season. Metro cities such as Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Pune continue to lead in seasonal hiring demand, up 19% from last year.
Tier 2 Cities
Tier 2 cities like Lucknow, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Mysuru, and Varanasi are witnessing a 42% increase in demand. Emerging hubs such as Kanpur, Kochi, and Vijayawada are also seeing growing traction, indicating a broader geographic spread of festive hiring.
Compensation Levels
Compensation levels are expected to rise by 12-15% in metro markets and by 18-22% in emerging cities. Notably, 23% more women are participating in this seasonal hiring wave compared to previous years, driven by a rising preference for flexible, short-term roles.
Sector-wise Hiring
- Logistics and delivery: 30-35% rise in hiring
- BFSI sector: 30% growth in demand
- Hospitality and travel: 20-25% increase in hiring
- E-commerce and retail: 35-40% of total seasonal job creation
Deepesh Gupta, Director and Head of General Staffing, Adecco India, said: “This year’s festive season is seeing a sharper and more structured demand curve, and we have proactively prepared to meet it well in advance. We have already recorded a 19% increase in demand for seasonal roles compared to the same period last year.”
