New Delhi, Oct. 1 -- India's festive hiring cycle has traditionally been built around one immediate problem: finding enough people to handle the surge in orders, deliveries, warehousing and retail activity.

That model is beginning to change. Employers still need temporary workers to manage peak demand, but they are increasingly looking at the festive season as a way to identify people who could stay beyond it. Workers, meanwhile, appear willing to take flexible jobs, but not necessarily at the expense of stability.

Indeed's Festive Season Outlook 2026 captures that tension. While 53% of employers expect festive hiring to increase compared with 2025, 74% expect to retain at least 10% of their festive hires beyond the peak period through ...