India’s job market is rapidly evolving, driven by the rapid rise of the gig economy. Latest insights from the jobs platform foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME), reveal a 17% year-on-year surge in white-collar gig opportunities—signalling a fundamental shift in talent acquisition strategies. Today, over 6.8 million professionals in India are part of the white-collar gig workforce. Most of them (66%) work through company-led models — across corporates (28%), MNCs (12%), startups (8%), and others (18%). The rest (34%) are placed through consultants, including staffing firms and freelance platforms.
This distribution underscores how the gig economy is no longer confined to niche segments but is now a core part of workforce planning across industries.
“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.”
Key Insights: Gig Economy Trends
Industry Breakdown:
The gig economy continues to thrive across multiple sectors, with IT Software & Services (32%), Education/Ed-tech (14%), and Recruitment & Staffing (12%) leading gig hiring in March 2025. While IT remains dominant, industries like Advertising & Marketing have seen a decline, reflecting shifting priorities in industry demand.
| % share of jobs | ||
| Top hiring Industries for gig | March’24 | March’25 |
| IT Software & Services | 46% | 32% |
| Advertising & Marketing | 18% | 8% |
| Education/ Ed-tech | 8% | 14% |
| Recruitment & Staffing | 8% | 12% |
| Management Consulting | 3% | 4% |
| BPM/ BPO | 5% | 9% |
| Telecom | 1% | 4% |
| Internet | 2% | 5% |
| Healthcare | 4% | 4% |
Role Analysis:
White-collar roles are increasingly focused on specialised skills. Coders/IT Consultants (30%) continue to dominate, but Data Analysts/Data Scientists have seen significant growth, now accounting for 15% of gig roles. Creative roles such as Content Writers/Copywriters (12%) and Graphic Designers/UI/UX Designers (10%) also remain popular.
| Top 10 gig roles | ||
| March ’24 | March ’25 | |
| Coder/ IT consultant | 30% | 30% |
| Data Analysts and Data Scientists | 8% | 15% |
| Content Writers and Copywriters | 17% | 12% |
| Graphic Designers and UI/UX Designers | 8% | 10% |
| Digital Marketing Experts | 6% | 9% |
| Project Managers | 4% | 7% |
| Sales & BD Managers | 4% | 6% |
| Legal Advisors and Consultants | 1% | 5% |
| Financial Analysts/ Consultants | 4% | 4% |
| Virtual Assistants | 1% | 3% |
Location Focus:
Gig opportunities are concentrated in major cities, with Delhi/NCR (26%), Mumbai (18%), and Bengaluru (12%) leading the way. However, remote work opportunities have grown to 6%, signalling a broader geographic distribution of gig roles.
| Top hiring Locations | % share of jobs | |
| March ’24 | March ’25 | |
| Delhi / NCR | 23% | 26% |
| Mumbai | 17% | 18% |
| Bengaluru | 17% | 12% |
| Chennai | 13% | 8% |
| Hyderabad | 13% | 11% |
| Pune | 8% | 8% |
| Kolkata | 6% | 4% |
| Ahmedabad | 5% | 1% |
| Remote | 4% | 6% |
Salary Trends:
The majority of gig roles fall within the 0-3 Lacs (37%) and 3-6 Lacs (41%) salary brackets, indicating a significant portion of entry-level and mid-level positions. However, opportunities in the 6-10 Lacs (16%) and 10-15 Lacs (4%) range exist for specialised skills.
| Salary Bracket | % share of jobs |
| 0-3 Lacs | 37% |
| 3-6 Lacs | 41% |
| 6-10 Lacs | 16% |
| 10-15 Lacs | 4% |
| 15-25 Lacs | 2% |
Additional Insights from March 2025
Industry Growth: Hiring in Manufacturing demonstrated the strongest month-over-month (MoM) growth at 12%, followed by Logistics & Transportation at 9% and Non-profit Organisations and Banking, Financial services, Insurance at 8%.
| Industry | M-o-M growth (%) | Y-o-Y growth (%) |
| Manufacturing | 12% | 78% |
| Logistics & Transportation | 9% | 46% |
| Non-Profit Organisation | 9% | 70% |
| Banking, Financial services, Insurance | 8% | 57% |
| BPO | 7% | 9% |
Function-wise Growth: Hiring for Procurement & Supply Chain roles saw the highest MoM growth at 9%, followed by Sales & Business Development at 6% and Senior Management at 5%.
Regional hiring trends: Smaller cities outpace metros
The regional hiring trends based on year-on-year (YoY) growth reveal significant momentum in smaller cities and emerging hubs. Coimbatore (44%) leads the way, followed by Baroda (37%), Pune (38%), and Bangalore (37%), showcasing their growing prominence in workforce demand. Among metros, Mumbai (32%) and Chennai (29%) continue to show strong YoY growth.
Experience Level Trends
Entry-level positions (0-3 years) experienced a MoM growth of 4%, while mid-level roles (7-10 years) saw a growth of 7%, indicating a demand for both fresh talent and experienced professionals in the gig economy.
About foundit – APAC & Middle East
foundit, formerly Monster (APAC & ME) is Asia’s leading jobs & talent platform offering comprehensive employment solutions to recruiters and job seekers across APAC & ME. In addition to a powerful AI-powered job search, foundit offers e-learning, assessments, and services related to resume creation, interview preparation, and professional networking. Since its inception, the company has assisted over 120 million job seekers across 18 countries in connecting them with the right job opportunities and upskilling. foundit is now also the Official Talent Partner of the Badminton World Federation across 20 key world tour events.