The Indian telecom industry witnessed a slowdown in overall workforce growth, even as demand for entry-level customer-facing (Sales, Support and Service) and technology roles remained positive, according to the latest data from TeamLease Services (NSE: TEAMLEASE).
While the industry’s associate workforce expanded by an impressive 51.05% in FY21-22, this growth moderated to 31.41% in FY23-24. However, telecom companies continued to actively hire field sales executives, customer relationship executives, retail executives, installation engineers, fibre repair executives, and cell site repair staff during this period.
“Our data reveals a dichotomy in the telecom sector’s workforce trends,” said Kartik Narayan, CEO-Staffing of TeamLease Services. “While the overall employee growth rate tapered, we witnessed a demand for young talent in customer-facing and technology roles that support the industry’s field operations and network infrastructure.”
The findings highlight the telecom workforce’s young demographics, with 56.8% in the age group of 18-29 years. This youthful employee base aligns with the industry’s frontline service delivery and tech deployment requirements.
Notably, the sector’s attrition rate declined from a peak of 58.4% in FY22-23 to 43.4% in FY23-24, this can be partially attributed to the slowed growth in the workforce size. Sustained average salaries between ₹24,600 – ₹25,475 likely supported employee retention efforts.
“While the slowdown in overall growth is notable, we are encouraged by improving attrition rates and sustained entry-level hiring traction,” said Subburathinam P, Chief Strategy Officer at TeamLease Services. “Our insights underscore telecom’s strong appeal among young job seekers and the industry’s efforts to attract this digital-savvy talent through competitive compensation.”
TeamLease’s data provides a comprehensive view into the evolving workforce dynamics of India’s telecom sector as it navigates a transitional phase marked by moderate growth but rising demand for specialized customer-facing roles and technology professionals.
Data Insights
|
FY21-22 |
FY22-23 |
FY23-24 |
|
|
Associate Growth (YoY) |
51.05% |
44.79% |
31.41% |
|
Attrition Rate |
50.8% |
58.4% |
43.4% |
|
Average Salary (INR) |
24,609 |
24,630 |
25,475 |
|
% of Associates in Age Group |
18-25 yr |
26-29 yr |
30-35 yr |
36-40 yr |
40+ yr |
|
28.3% |
28.5% |
27.5% |
9% |
6.8% |
|
% of Associates by Education Qualification |
10th |
12th |
Graduate |
Post Graduate |
|
5.7% |
30.9% |
61.7% |
1.8% |
|
% of Associates in Work Tenure Group |
0-1 yr |
1-2 yr |
2-3 yr |
3-4 yr |
4+ yr |
|
72.2% |
15.7% |
5.0% |
2.5% |
4.6% |
