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New Delhi: Indian e-commerce businesses are preparing for the yearly shopping frenzy by meeting customer requests as the festive season draws near. This surge in shopping activity is projected to generate almost 700,000 gig jobs in the second half of 2023, said a new report.

There are currently about 200,000 open positions in the industry for temporary workers, mostly in the last-mile delivery and warehouse operations sectors, according to a recent analysis by TeamLease. July will see the start of the market with shopping festivals by various e-commerce players.

It added that 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.

In addition to tier-1 cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai, tier-2 and tier-3 towns like Vadodara, Pune, and Coimbatore have also seen a steady increase in the demand for gig workers throughout the holiday season, according to TeamLease.

Roles like warehouse operations, last-mile delivery personnel, and call centre operators are in high demand in both metropolitan regions and tiers 2 and 3, but the proportion of demand is larger in the latter two cities than in the former as compared to the previous year. This is mostly due to the anticipated rebound in rural demand brought on by a reduction in inflationary pressures.

For gig workers nationwide, the increase in employment prospects outweighs the difficulties presented by the macroeconomic conditions. In order to provide the greatest possible client experience throughout the holiday season, businesses are actively hiring temporary staff. Because of this, the job market in these cities is flourishing and giving the local economies a much-needed boost.

“Over the last five 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,” stated Balasubramanian A, vice president and head of business at Teamlease Services.

The hiring season for the holiday season begins in July, and there are currently 200,000 available positions in the e-commerce industry alone. By December, that number is expected to rise to almost 700,000.

According to industry forecasts, India’s gig labour is expected to reach 2.35 crore by 2029-30, Balasubramanian continued, indicating the expanding demand for this skill pool.