The hiring landscape in India’s telecom sector is anticipated to experience a significant decline, dropping to 10-15% year-over-year in the fiscal year 2025 from the notable 35% year-over-year witnessed in the fiscal year 2024. The moderation is primarily attributed to the completion of the rollout of fifth-generation (5G) services by major carriers such as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Kartik Narayan, CEO of Staffing at TeamLease Services, noted that the focus will shift towards upgrading 2G mobile users to 4G and 5G post the completion of 5G rollouts, aiming to maximize returns on investments in the latest network technologies. He emphasized that the consolidation of 5G rollout is expected by June, marking the first quarter of the fiscal year 2025.
While Jio and Airtel handle their hiring internally without dependence on third-party agencies, Vodafone Idea’s hiring is described as “muted,” and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is positioned as a “distant fourth player” in the industry. Notably, the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for handset manufacturing and the government’s emphasis on self-reliance could lead to the creation of 80,000 to 1 lakh jobs in smartphone manufacturing over the next 12-24 months. Companies like Foxconn, Wistron, Pegatron, Dixon Technologies, and Tata Electronics are expected to contribute to this job creation as they set up and expand manufacturing operations in India, aligning with the government’s initiatives.
