Festive hiring to jump 20-25% this year; top e-commerce firms to hire over 75,000 staff – check details

Consumer goods firms, retailers, e-commerce platforms and logistics companies have increased their recruitment targets by 20-25% compared to the previous year for the upcoming festive period, anticipating robust sales recovery, according to a senior executives and recruitment specialists.The majority of these positions will be filled by temporary and gig workers, with a major e-commerce marketplace planning to recruit over 75,000 staff, as reported by Adecco India.E-commerce and logistics sectors are spearheading the festive recruitment drive with an expected 30-35% increase in temporary staffing. Retail, consumer goods, hospitality and tourism sectors are also expected to expand their seasonal workforce. Electronics and mobile phone companies including Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Haier, and Godrej are preparing to increase their retail staff numbers, indicating positive sales expectations.Randstad India projects gig positions to exceed 11 million this fiscal year, driven by e-commerce, retail, logistics, and quick commerce sectors. Quick-commerce recruitment is expected to rise by 35-40%, while e-commerce staffing shows a 25-30% increase, compared to approximately 10 million positions last fiscal year.“We are anticipating a strong rebound in temporary staffing this festive season, with demand up 20–25% year-on-year as organisations work to recoup a softer summer sales period,” Yeshab Giri, chief commercial officer at Randstad India told ET.“The early arrival of key festivals has prompted companies to advance workforce planning, scaling up manpower well ahead of traditional timelines,” Giri added.The festive period represents India’s peak consumption season, contributing 30-40% of annual sales in categories like apparel and electronics. This year’s festive season holds particular significance as demand has remained subdued for several quarters, with summer sales affected by rainfall. Sales across electronic products, smartphones, apparel, fashion, FMCG products and automobiles have shown minimal growth in the past 4-6 quarters.Deepesh Gupta, director and head of general staffing at Adecco India noted that companies are initiating recruitment earlier this year, expecting stronger festive demand from Raksha Bandhan through Diwali and Christmas. “There’s a strong emphasis on roles in customer service, delivery, warehousing, and digital support, especially as online shopping continues to grow,” he said.BNP Paribas India said in a July report that urban discretionary spending is likely to stay strong this fiscal year, helped by income tax cuts, lower loan rates, and easing food inflation.