Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The festive season 2025 is likely to generate up to 2 lakh jobs, of which 70 per cent are expected to be gig roles, particularly in tier 2 cities, according to a report on September 25. The report by NLB Services showed that India’s festive economy has traditionally been a major driver of consumer spending, and 2025 is marking a structural transformation in how seasonal demand is shaping employment models.
The festival season, starting earlier this year, is expected to generate up to 2 lakh jobs across key sectors like retail, e-commerce, logistics, and consumer services. Hiring during the festive period will increase by approximately 20-25 per cent compared to last year. Sectors such as quick commerce and third-party logistics are driving the uptick, supported by significant investments in supply chain and last-mile delivery infrastructure.
Of the projected new jobs, 70 per cent are expected to be gig roles, while 30 per cent are permanent, suggesting that companies are adopting a blended workforce model to balance flexibility and scale. “Over 35 per cent of businesses are now rethinking festive hiring as a component of their long-term talent strategy. We’re seeing companies invest in pre-festive skilling initiatives, revisit their workforce diversity goals, and increasingly view seasonal demand as a testing ground for agile workforce models,” said Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services. Further, the report showed that several large Q-commerce and e-commerce players are projected to retain 26 per cent of this expanded workforce beyond the festive window, pointing to a structural shift rather than a seasonal spike. There will also be a significant surge in hiring across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, which are projected to strengthen their role as active growth centres.
