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
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NEW DELHI — 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 Thursday.
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.
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“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.
Locations such as Bhubaneswar, Kochi, Indore, Surat, and Nagpur are anticipated to see a 30-40 per cent increase in gig hiring.
With these cities emerging as micro-fulfillment hubs for retail and e-commerce companies, Tier 2 cities accounted for 47 per cent (YoY) of total gig hiring during the last festive season -- a figure expected to rise to 50 per cent 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.