Exciting news for the upcoming festive season: the 2025 celebrations are projected to create up to 2,00,000 jobs, with gig roles making up nearly 70% of the total, especially in tier-2 cities, according to a report released on Thursday.
A report by NLB Services highlighted that India’s festive economy has long been a key driver of consumer spending, and 2025 is witnessing a structural shift in how seasonal demand is influencing employment models. With the festival season starting earlier this year, up to 2 lakh jobs are expected to be created across sectors such as retail, e-commerce, logistics, and consumer services. Hiring during this period is projected to rise by around 20–25% compared to last year.
Sectors like quick commerce and third-party logistics are fueling the surge, backed by substantial investments in supply chain and last-mile delivery infrastructure. Of the projected new jobs, around 70% are expected to be gig roles, with the remaining 30% permanent, indicating that companies are embracing 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.
The report also highlighted that several major Q-commerce and e-commerce players are expected to retain 26% of the expanded workforce beyond the festive season, indicating a structural shift rather than a temporary spike. Additionally, hiring in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities is set to see a substantial increase, reinforcing their growing role as key growth hubs.
“Cities like Bhubaneswar, Kochi, Indore, Surat, and Nagpur are set for a 30–40% rise in gig hiring as Tier 2 hubs. Last year, they made up 47% of festive-season gig roles, expected to hit 50% in FY26. “While metros like Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi continue to lead in demand by volume, the real growth momentum is clearly shifting to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities — where talent supply is strong, operational costs are lower, and attrition rates remain minimal,” Alug said.
