Gig hiring is on the rise in India with white-collar gig jobs increasing 17% year-on-year to more than 6.8 million in March, showed the latest data from foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME).
According to the talent platform, gig jobs are flexible, short-term work opportunities across various industries, allowing professionals to take on project-based roles. These roles are increasingly in demand as businesses prioritise agility, specialised skills and cost-effective workforce solutions.
Most of the white-collar gig workers (66%) were employed through company-led models, across corporates (28%), multinationals (12%), startups (8%) and others (18%), as per the data. The rest (34%) were placed through consultants, including staffing firms and freelance platforms.
“The gig economy has transformed from a niche trend into a core driver of India’s workforce evolution,” said V Suresh, CEO, foundit. “Our latest report underscores the rising demand for skilled professionals in flexible roles, making continuous upskilling and adaptability more crucial than ever. As organisations increasingly integrate gig talent into their workforce strategies, success will hinge on specialised expertise and the ability to navigate dynamic market shifts.”
Sectors such as IT software and services (32%), education/ed-tech (14%), and recruitment and staffing (12%) led gig hiring in March 2025. While IT remained dominant, industries such as advertising and marketing saw a decline, reflecting shifting priorities in industry demand.
Coders and IT consultants (30%) continued to dominate white-collar roles, with data analysts and data scientists seeing significant growth. Content writers and copywriters (12%) and graphic designers/UI/UX designers (10%) also remained popular.
Gig jobs were mostly concentrated in Delhi-National Capital Region (26%), Mumbai (18%) and Bengaluru (12%).
According to the talent platform, gig jobs are flexible, short-term work opportunities across various industries, allowing professionals to take on project-based roles. These roles are increasingly in demand as businesses prioritise agility, specialised skills and cost-effective workforce solutions.
Most of the white-collar gig workers (66%) were employed through company-led models, across corporates (28%), multinationals (12%), startups (8%) and others (18%), as per the data. The rest (34%) were placed through consultants, including staffing firms and freelance platforms.
“The gig economy has transformed from a niche trend into a core driver of India’s workforce evolution,” said V Suresh, CEO, foundit. “Our latest report underscores the rising demand for skilled professionals in flexible roles, making continuous upskilling and adaptability more crucial than ever. As organisations increasingly integrate gig talent into their workforce strategies, success will hinge on specialised expertise and the ability to navigate dynamic market shifts.”
Sectors such as IT software and services (32%), education/ed-tech (14%), and recruitment and staffing (12%) led gig hiring in March 2025. While IT remained dominant, industries such as advertising and marketing saw a decline, reflecting shifting priorities in industry demand.
Coders and IT consultants (30%) continued to dominate white-collar roles, with data analysts and data scientists seeing significant growth. Content writers and copywriters (12%) and graphic designers/UI/UX designers (10%) also remained popular.
Gig jobs were mostly concentrated in Delhi-National Capital Region (26%), Mumbai (18%) and Bengaluru (12%).
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