Indian E-Commerce industry is likely generate almost 700,000 gig jobs in the second half of 2023 to fulfil consumer demands during the annual shopping frenzy, according to a TeamLease report.

Share Market Live

NSE

With July opening up the market with shopping festivals by various e-commerce players, the sector currently has around 200,000 open positions for temporary workers primarily in the last mile delivery space and warehouse operations jobs.

The demand for gig workers during the festive season has been consistently rising, not only in tier-1 cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai but also in tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Vadodara, Pune, Coimbatore.

In both metropolitan areas as well as tier-2 and tier-3, there is a predominant need for roles such Warehouse Operations, Last-Mile Delivery Personnel and Call Center Operators, however, the proportion of demand is higher in the tier-2 and tier-3 cities versus in tier-1 as against last year. This is primarily owing to the recovery in rural demand expected in the back of easing inflationary pressures.

This year's festive hiring is anticipated to witness a remarkable 25 percent increase in gig jobs compared to the same period last year, reflecting the sector's optimistic outlook and aspirations to boost positive sentiments, the report said.

Balasubramanian A, Vice President and Business Head, Teamlease Services, said, "Over the last 5 years, we have seen an impressive 20 percent year-on-year increase in the demand for gig workers, and this upward trend is expected to persist for the next 2-3 years, especially in the thriving e-commerce category. With July opening up the festive season hiring, the e-commerce sector alone has 200,000 open positions at present, which will eventually increase and reach about 700,000 by December."

According to industry reports, it is anticipated that India's gig workforce will reach 2.35 crore by 2029-30.

"As we move forward, we look forward to a future where the gig economy plays a pivotal role, and we are committed to supporting this dynamic workforce for the e-commerce sector in their journey towards success," Balasubramanian said.

The data shows a 69 percent surge in gig workers earning more than Rs 150,000, indicating a high-income segment. Additionally, there is a significant 62 percent increase in gig workers earning between Rs 85,000 and Rs 150,000, falling in middle-income bracket.

Furthermore, the data show that the surge in gig workforce hiring is not limited to the e-commerce sector. Several other industries are also ramping up their recruitment efforts to meet the festive season's demands.

Retail and logistics are among the prominent industries that are expanding their workforce to meet the increased consumer activity during this festive season.