India festive temporary hiring to rise 15-20 percent: TeamLease report

Companies in India are getting ready for a very busy holiday shopping season that lasts from Independence Day to Diwali and the New Year.

Many stores, online shops and delivery services expect more customers, so they need more temporary workers.

A company called TeamLease says temporary hiring will go up by 15 to 20 percent this year.

Most of the new jobs will be in retail, e-commerce, quick commerce, logistics, FMCG and consumer durables.

Companies are not just hiring large numbers of people anymore — they also want workers with special skills for important frontline roles.

The report is based on information from 60,000 temporary workers.

Workers may earn more too, with frontline pay possibly rising by 8 to 10 percent in the second half of 2026.

The temporary workforce is getting younger, and most of the new jobs will be in cities in South and West India.

Companies are also investing in training and digital onboarding to make sure everything runs smoothly during the festive season.