Portfolio careers fuel India's gig economy

New Delhi: India's independent consulting or white-collar gig economy is witnessing a structural shift, with professionals increasingly opting for portfolio careers and companies turning to external experts to drive transformation projects, according to the latest data from talent marketplace platform Flexing It.The rise is being driven by younger professionals: nearly 40% of consultants joining the platform in FY26 had between three and eight years of experience compared with about 30% in FY25.Also Read: NCW issues advisory to States, calls for mandatory POSH audits and robust workplace safety mechanisms nationwideThe number of professionals registering as independent consultants has grown nearly 290% since 2022, with monthly additions rising from around 1,500 in FY24 to about 3,000 in FY25 and crossing 5,000 in FY26.131881482"Independent consulting is no longer something professionals ease into later in their careers," said Chandrika Pasricha, founder and CEO, Flexing It.

"Nearly 40% of new consultants on our platform in FY26 have between three to eight years of experience-this generation is choosing independent work early and by design, drawn by the speed at which they can build diverse skills and garner high-impact experience outside a traditional career track."At the other end of the spectrum, around one in five new registrations over the past two years came from professionals with more than 15 years of experience.

Many are taking up roles as advisors, interim leaders and transformation specialists, allowing them to work across multiple organisations."Over a third of projects on our platform are now led by experienced professionals-and that's no accident.

Senior talent is making a deliberate choice, drawn by the freedom to work on their own terms and the ability to build a portfolio of high-impact engagements.

That's changing how organisations access leadership," she said.Also Read: Death of the CV - AI is making soft skills the new hiring currencyFlexing It's network now includes more than 120,000 independent consultants and domain experts.On the demand side, companies are increasingly embedding flexible talent into their workforce strategies.

The demand for independent consultants witnessed 60% growth in FY26 compared with FY24.Technology remains the largest category of demand, accounting for 21% of projects in FY26, although its share has moderated as companies increasingly seek expertise across functions such as human resources, supply chain, finance and strategy, research shows.Supply chain emerged as one of the fastest-growing areas, with demand rising 61% year-on-year as companies sought external expertise to strengthen procurement strategies, improve logistics networks and build resilience amid shifting global trade dynamics.The shift is visible across industries.

Industrial and manufacturing companies emerged as the largest consumers of independent talent, accounting for 30% of project demand in FY26, up from 26% a year earlier.

The growth was driven by automation, sustainability initiatives and operational transformation.

Consulting firms increased their demand to 20% from 14% a year earlier, as they assembled external teams for client engagements.

Demand from diversified conglomerates also rose sharply. ...