Daily News Blog

Festival hiring rises 7% in 2026, led by quick commerce, e-commerce and logistics

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India’s festival hiring market grew 7 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in 2026, driven primarily by demand from quick commerce (qcom), e-commerce (ecom) and logistics, according to the latest foundit Insights Tracker.

Festival hiring has increased steadily over the past three years, rising from 98,120 jobs in 2024 to 118,750 in 2025 and 127,080 in 2026.

The growth comes despite an 11 per cent Y-o-Y decline in overall white-collar hiring in September.

Quick commerce recorded the strongest growth among sectors, with festival hiring increasing 18 per cent Y-o-Y. White-collar gig and freelance hiring followed with 15 per cent growth, while e-commerce and logistics and transportation grew 12 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.

Travel and hospitality, media and entertainment, and retail recorded more moderate growth of 6 per cent, 5 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively.

The hiring growth is also shifting beyond metropolitan centres. Metros accounted for 56 per cent of festival-related white-collar jobs but recorded only 3 per cent Y-o-Y growth.

Tier-II cities, which contributed 27 per cent of festival jobs, recorded 11 per cent growth, while Tier-III and emerging cities posted the fastest growth at 15 per cent, accounting for 17 per cent of total opportunities.

By role, operations and fulfilment accounted for the largest share of festival hiring at 23 per cent. Sales and business development followed at 20 per cent, customer service and experience at 14 per cent, and supply chain and logistics at 12 per cent.

The festival hiring market continues to be dominated by early-career professionals. Candidates with up to six years of experience accounted for 70 per cent of festival jobs. Those with 0-3 years of experience made up 43 per cent, while professionals with 4-6 years accounted for 27 per cent.

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