Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Festive hiring in India is expected to grow 15-20 per cent in the second half of 2026, generating around 2-2.5 lakh seasonal and gig opportunities across e-commerce, quick commerce, retail, logistics, hospitality, travel and consumer services, a report said on August 20.
The data compiled by NLB Services said the key shift this year is not merely the increase in hiring but the way companies are preparing for the seasonal surge. Businesses are increasingly moving away from last-minute, volume-driven recruitment towards structured workforce planning, with employers beginning preparations nearly 12-14 weeks before the festive peak.
Varun Sachdeva, SVP and APAC Head, NLB Services, said the festive season was becoming a real-time stress test for India’s workforce and pointed to a fundamental shift in employer behaviour.
“The festive season is becoming a real-time stress test for India’s workforce-and the results are pointing to a fundamental shift. Employers are hiring earlier, looking beyond traditional talent hubs and increasingly relying on technology-enabled, flexible and ready-to-deploy talent,” he stated.
“What was once a short-term response to seasonal demand is becoming a strategic opportunity to access new talent pools, assess capabilities at scale and create pathways to longer-term employment. The real impact of festive hiring, therefore, may extend well beyond the festive season itself,” Sachdeva mentioned.
Management, field operations and hospitality will continue to account for a large share of hiring, demand is also rising for dark-store inventory controllers, returns and refunds specialists.
