Quick-comm industry sees sharp employment growth in 2024; Karnataka emerge as top-hub
Quick commerce sector has employed high concentration of entry-level roles in 2024, with 71 percent of employees holding 10th or 12th-grade qualifications.
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India's quick commerce sector has witnessed a sharp growth in employment as consumers embrace the 10-minute delivery trends strongly. The sector, which predominantly relies on temporary and seasonal hirings, focused on more young workforce, with average employee aged between 25 and 26.
According to a report by TeamLease Services, the sector has employed high concentration of entry-level roles in 2024, with 71 percent of employees holding 10th or 12th-grade qualifications.
Further, the report said that Karnataka (20 percent), Maharashtra (19 percent), and Telangana (13 percent) were the primary hubs for Q-Commerce jobs in 2024, while Haryana and West Bengal, accounted for 4 percent of the workforce.
In contrast to quick commerce sector, the E-commerce employment experiences seasonal fluctuations, peaking at 23 percent in August due to festive demand and dropping to 3 percent by December. Whereas, Q-Commerce maintained a steady hiring pattern throughout the year, with demand peaking at 22 percent in December.
However, the industry faces a significant challenge with high attrition rates driven by intense competition and frequent job-switching. To combat the high attrition rate, Zomato-owned Blinkit increased the "notice period" to two months in October 2024.
"India’s Q-Commerce sector is expanding at an unprecedented rate, with the market size projected to reach $5 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 10-15 percent. The surge in last-mile delivery, dark store operations, and warehouse management roles is reshaping the gig economy, with Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana leading as key employment hubs. As attrition rates remain high, businesses must prioritize workforce skilling, structured retention strategies, and AI-driven workforce management to build a sustainable talent pipeline and drive long-term growth," Balasubramanian A, Senior VP and Business Head at TeamLease Services said.
The Q-Commerce industry has witnessed a strong growth over the past two years. The Monthly Transacting Users (MTUs) increased by over 40 percent in 2024. The sector's average monthly orders per customer increased from 4.4 in 2021 to 6 in 2024. According to the experts, the sector expected to grow by 75–85 percent in 2025, reaching a Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of $5 billion.
