Reliance workforce swells again, led by hiring in retail

RIL added over 55,000 employees in FY25, reversing the previous year's job cuts.

- Dipali Banka & Suneera Tandon

Reliance Industries, one of India's top private sector employers, saw its consolidated workforce rebound in FY25 following a sharp correction in FY24 led by retail.

In FY25, the total employee count rose to 403,303 from 347,362 in FY24 due to its retail business, according to the company's annual report. In FY24, the company reduced its workforce by 42,052, of which 38,029 were in retail.

Again in FY25, it added 55,941 employees, with 40,230 new hires in retail. The retailer ended the year with 19,340 stores, up 2.67% from the year-ago period, and a retail area of 77.4 million sq. ft.—albeit lower than the 79.1 million sq. ft. retail area it occupied in the previous fiscal on account of rationalizing large store spaces.

Last fiscal year, the business opened 1,840 new stores, with the total store count standing at 18,836 stores.

The company had undertaken a streamlining of its stores in fiscal 2025—it is now back on an expansion strategy, having added 388 stores during the June quarter.