Job opportunities in the e-commerce and allied industries in India recorded a 28% surge in 2021, according to data from staffing firm TeamLease Services. 

Recruitment activity in the e-commerce and allied industries (e-commerce, social commerce, online grocery/ essentials) are set to gain further momentum driven by economic recovery and aggressive vaccination drive, according to TeamLease.

The e-commerce sector grew by 8% in 2020 and 30% in 2021. It is now poised to reach USD 111 billion by 2024 and USD 200 billion by 2026.

The growth in this sector has provided the much-needed push to the economy and created a multitude of employment opportunities, TeamLease said.

"With the aggressive vaccination drive India and economic activities gaining normalcy, next year is going to be very optimistic. Hiring activities have resumed in most of the industries, even the ones which faced maximum impact last year," said Ajoy Thomas, VP & Business Head (Retail, E-Commerce, Logistics & Transportation), TeamLease Services.

“For e-commerce and startups, which have been rewarding throughout, many new job opportunities will be added in 2022, and hiring will further go up by 32%,” Thomas added.

Over the year, the demand was high for roles like supply chain management, warehouse roles, support services, and customer service management.

The report further noted that not only Tier I locations, but even Tier II to Tier IV regions witnessed a surge in hiring, especially as e-commerce has now gone deeper into the interiors of the country.

"Appraisals in these industries were at an average of 20% to 30%,” TeamLease stated. “Many companies also introduced unique benefits and compensations like relaxing their attendance policies, providing flexibility in schedule changes, implementing additional sick leave and exploring back-up childcare options for employees," it said.

The staffing firm added that 2022 is going to be an even more promising year for e-commerce and tech startups, which are poised to reach a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 27%, reaching USD 111 billion by 2024.

While 2022 is going to be a promising year, some reforms and financial aid are required to help the sectors grow and flourish, it added.