Delivery companies ramped up hiring of gig workers ahead of the key festive season

Delivery Firms Step Up Hiring of Gig Workers Ahead of Crucial Festival Season

With the shopping season approaching next month, online delivery companies in the country have started ramping up labor recruitment for deliveries, a report said. India’s unemployment rate has dipped below 7 percent for the first time this year, with the Reserve Bank of India tackling high inflation. Companies that don’t want to miss out on the expected shopping season in September have ramped up their workforce ahead of the upcoming holidays.

According to A Report BigBasket increased its workforce to 2,200 for the June quarter, according to Reuters. The new delivery partners were hired for the service’s instant delivery arm, BB Now, which previously had just 500 workers. According to reports, the firm plans to increase its workforce by 800 before the end of the financial year.

Festive sales are popular in India, and e-commerce companies such as Amazon and Flipkart typically offer huge discounts on a range of products, including fashion, smartphones, computers and consumer electronics. Meanwhile, shopping and grocery delivery services are also expected to increase sales during the festive season.

However, demand for gig workers may not keep pace with available supply, BigBasket COO TK Balkumar told Reuters, adding that the gig workforce was not a free-flowing pool. Companies like Danzo and BigBasket rely on their own employees for delivery.

Bangalore-based Danzo, which delivers groceries and essentials as well as other products in major cities, also offers standalone services to pick up and drop packages in the same city. The firm currently has 75,000 workers for its delivery services. The company’s CEO Kabir Biswas told Reuters that the constant churning and movement that has existed for about five years may cause a temporary crunch, but supply and demand will match.


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