Indian Telecom Stems Employee Churn As Attrition Rates Recede

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.

While the industry's associate workforce expanded by an impressive 51.05 per cent in FY21-22, this growth moderated to 31.41 per cent 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 per cent 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 per cent in FY22-23 to 43.4 per cent 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 specialised customer-facing roles and technology professionals.

Data Insights