216k festive season jobs recorded in logistics, e-com, hospitality: Apna.co

Jobs and professional networking platform Apna.co reported 2.16 lakh job postings this festive season, marking a 20 per cent increase compared to 1.8 lakh job postings last year. This year’s festive season saw a significant rise in hiring across key sectors like logistics, e-commerce, retail, and hospitality. It was particularly important for businesses aiming to rebound after a slowdown in consumer spending during the summer and election periods. Companies focused on driving sales beyond last year’s numbers, with the rapid expansion of the quick commerce industry further contributing to this hiring momentum. Among the sectors, logistics and operations experienced the highest growth, with a 70 per cent increase in job postings. Retail and e-commerce followed with a 30 per cent rise, while the restaurant and hospitality sector grew by 25 per cent.

   

“At Apna, we typically start preparing for the festive season two months in advance. However, this year was crucial for our employer partners, who anticipated a 20-25 per cent increase in consumer demand,” said Nirmit Parikh, founder and chief executive officer of Apna.co. “To support them, we began our preparations even earlier, building a strong talent pipeline. Our commitment to solving hiring challenges and transforming how Indian businesses hire is clearly reflected in the success we’ve seen this festive season.”

 

To meet rising demand, logistics and mobility leaders like Rapido, Delhivery, Ekart, and Shiprocket have posted over 30,000 openings for roles such as warehouse managers, logistics associates, inventory managers, and delivery drivers. The retail and e-commerce sector is also expanding, adding 18,000 roles, including category growth managers, sales associates, and customer support managers to enhance consumer experience. In hospitality, 14,000 jobs have opened for positions like restaurant managers, front office staff, and administrative personnel. Quick service restaurant (QSR) giants such as Jubilant Foodworks and food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato are also ramping up hiring to keep pace with demand.

 

This hiring trend is not limited to major metro cities; Tier-II and Tier-III cities are also experiencing a significant rise in job opportunities. While Tier-I cities like Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad have seen a 20 per cent increase in job postings, the demand in Tier-II and Tier-III cities is even more notable. Factors such as increasing urbanisation, the expansion of malls and quick-service restaurants, and improved consumer spending are driving this growth. Cities like Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Surat, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Indore, Kanpur, Chandigarh, Patna, Coimbatore, and Jaipur have recorded a 25 per cent increase in job postings.