E-comm hiring up 35% in 2 yrs; AI, ops lead: Report

BENGALURU: India's e-commerce and quick commerce sector is hiring again, but the playbook has changed. Talent demand rose 35% between 2023 and 2025 to nearly 98,750 roles, even as companies shifted from expansion-led hiring to building technology capability and execution strength, according to a CIEL HR report.

The sharpest shift is in technology hiring. Demand for engineering roles has expanded more than threefold over the past two years, with companies prioritising solution architects, and AI and machine learning specialists. These roles are linked to investments in recommendation engines, chatbots, warehouse automation, and payments systems , the report said. Nearly half of incremental hiring is now concentrated in technology, product and operations, signalling a structural move away from customer acquisition-led hiring towards platform capability and fulfilment-led workforce design. Operational hiring remains critical as quick commerce expands into smaller cities. Demand in supply chain and fulfilment roles has risen 25%, with warehouse managers, fulfilment planners, city operations leads and inventory controllers forming the backbone of expansion. These roles are especially concentrated in tier-2 and tier-3 markets.

"India's digital commerce sector is entering a new workforce phase where engineering depth, operational agility and execution precision are becoming the strongest indicators of business competitiveness," said Aditya Narayan Mishra, managing director and CEO, CIEL HR. "Organisations are designing talent models that combine specialised technology capability with highly responsive frontline execution."

At the frontline, gig work continues to anchor the sector. India's gig workforce has crossed 12 million, with more than half engaged in delivery, dark-store fulfilment and hyperlocal logistics. The shift is also reflected in pay. AI and machine learning specialists are earning 30%-40% more than conventional tech roles.