As the global economy undergoes rapid transformation, the nature of work is being redefined—leading to short-term job engagements, shorter corporate lifespans, underemployment of graduates, growing income inequality in knowledge-based roles, and a rise in necessity-driven self-employment. While these trends are reshaping employment landscapes worldwide, Bangalore has emerged as a standout example of how cities can respond effectively to such disruptions. Its diverse industries, meritocratic ethos, and culture of innovation make it a vibrant hub for employment and entrepreneurship. We explore how the city offers a compelling blueprint for the future of work in India and beyond through its dynamic labour market, inclusive growth model, and forward-looking mindset.
Global Trends Redefining the Workplace
The modern workplace is undergoing a seismic transformation, driven by technological advancements, shifting social norms, and economic pressures. Traditional career paths are giving way to flexible, short-term roles, and the idea of job stability is quickly becoming outdated. At the same time, companies are struggling to stay relevant, education is no longer a guaranteed gateway to opportunity, and the gap between top performers and the rest is growing wider—especially in knowledge-based industries. Meanwhile, self-employment is on the rise, not always by choice but often out of necessity. These shifts are not isolated—they are part of a broader global pattern reshaping how we work, who we work for, and what work even means. Understanding these five key trends is essential for navigating the future of employment and designing policies, careers, and cities that are resilient in the face of change.
1. Shift to Temporary, Gig-Based Employment
In India, we are witnessing a steady expansion in temporary and gig roles. The festive season between July and December 2025 is projected to generate over 216,000 short‑term jobs, a 15–20% year-on-year surge, mainly in logistics, retail, and e-commerce.
In 2024, blue-collar gig hiring jumped by a staggering 92%, driven by delivery platforms and ride-sharing services that rely heavily on flexible labor. According to the Economic Survey, by 2029‑30 the gig workforce is projected to reach 23.5 million, or 4.1% of India’s total livelihood, up from just 7.7 million in 2020–21.
2. Declining Longevity of Firms
While detailed Indian data on corporate lifespan is limited, companies are struggling to survive amid rapid disruption. Many startups, backed by billions in funding, face intense competition. For example, India’s under‑30 entrepreneurs raised $5.2 billion and created over 64,000 jobs in 2025 alone—but sustaining long-term operations remains a challenge.
This mirrors global patterns: firms must adapt quickly or risk being phased out within a decade or two.
3. Overproduction of Graduates vs Underemployment
India’s educational system continues to produce large numbers of graduates, but formal job creation remains slow. In 2023, around 29.1% of graduates were unemployed—which is nearly nine times higher than the 3.4% unemployment rate for the illiterate population. Only about 11.7% of jobs are knowledge-intensive, highlighting a mismatch between graduate output and quality of jobs.
As a result, many degree-holders take irregular jobs or remain in the informal sector despite their qualifications.
4. Productivity and Inequality in Cognitive Work
India’s widening income gap reflects global trends in cognitive professions. Although granular metrics on productivity differentials are scarce, rising income polarization is evident: the top 1% of Indians now hold over 40% of the country’s total wealth, while the bottom 50% hold just 3%. In fields like software, finance, and executive leadership, a handful of high performers command outsized rewards, sharply widening disparities compared to manual or routine workers.
5. Necessity-Led Self‑Employment
Much of India’s self-employment is driven by a lack of formal jobs. While official figures report 20 million new jobs annually since 2017/18, economists point out that many are in agriculture and informal roles—not stable salaried employment. In fact, 48 million of 100 million jobs created from 2017–18 to 2022–23 were in agriculture alone. This underscores that a significant share of self-employment is about subsistence rather than entrepreneurship, with precarious incomes and minimal social security.
Bangalore’s Blueprint for Adaptive Employment
While India and Karnataka are rich in traditional inputs like land, labor, and capital, their real challenge lies in combining these elements effectively—a concept economists call Total Factor Productivity. In simpler terms, it’s about how well entrepreneurship, innovation, and policy align to drive economic value. Bangalore stands apart from national trends by excelling at this integration. Bangalore doesn’t just survive the evolving world of work—it anticipates and shapes it. Its labor market is uniquely positioned to absorb and adapt to the five global shifts redefining work—through a combination of diversification, meritocracy, and innovation In essence,
- Diverse Ecosystem: Bangalore supports a broad mix of industries and job types—startups, multinationals, services, manufacturing, and everything in between—enabling flexibility as gig work and short-term roles grow.
- Meritocratic Culture: In a time when cognitive skills command disproportionate rewards, Bangalore prioritizes ability over background, allowing skilled individuals to thrive regardless of lineage.
- Innovation-Driven Growth: With a legacy of engineering deregulation and a policy environment focused on human capital, the city fosters new ideas—responding to underemployment among graduates and creating opportunities even in a crowded job market.
Bangalore’s evolution reflects the power of layered decisions made over decades—early infrastructure investments, education reforms, and a welcoming stance toward global and domestic enterprise. Its growth has been shaped not just by policy, but by a culture of openness to change and an ability to absorb people, ideas, and industries from across the country and the world. Whether it was being the first Indian city with electric streetlights, nurturing the aerospace sector, or attracting early tech pioneers, Bangalore has consistently acted ahead of the curve—turning cumulative advantages into a sustainable growth model.
Charaiveti — The Pulse of Progress
The Sanskrit word Charaiveti, drawn from the Aitreya Upanishad, means “keep moving forward.” It reflects not just physical motion, but a deeper call to persevere, learn, and evolve—no matter the obstacles. In many ways, this spirit defines Bangalore.
Bangalore serves as a striking example of the future of work in India, boasting a dynamic labor market where individuals frequently secure new positions within a week. This vibrant environment nurtures highly productive sectors, businesses, and individuals through continuous adaptation, expansion, diversification, and innovation. Critics often point to the city’s notorious traffic, but they fail to see that this congestion is a byproduct of its economic dynamism. With over 12 million vehicles, Bangalore is not stalled—it’s surging with opportunity. Its growing pains reflect a city alive with ambition, where rising real wages and job creation continue to attract talent from across the country. Bangalore’s true strength lies not just in infrastructure or innovation, but in its people’s shared commitment to Charaiveti. It is this forward-looking mindset—restless, adaptive, and resilient—that ensures the city doesn’t stand still, and serves as a quiet aspiration for every Indian city striving toward inclusive growth and prosperity.
This article is based on the article published in TOI on 18th July, written by Manish Sabharwal of TeamLease Services Ltd.
