Labour Ministry, Quick-Commerce Firm Zepto Sign MoU to Add 10,000 Jobs on NCS Portal

The Ministry of Labour and Employment on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with quick-commerce company Zepto to place 10,000 job openings on the government’s National Career Service (NCS) portal, an official release stated.

The pact, inked in the presence of Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, is pitched as a step to create a predictable pipeline of urban employment opportunities and improve youth employability.

The Agreement

Under the agreement, Zepto will list 10,000 roles on the NCS portal over the life of the MoU. The positions will span gig and full-time work and are intended to target young jobseekers, women and first-time entrants to the workforce, helping firms tap a curated pool of applicants while giving candidates access to formalised opportunities.

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya described the NCS platform as “a unique bridge between employers and job-seekers,” pointing to the portal’s reach since launch; the government says the platform now has more than 52 lakh registered employers and has mobilised nearly 7.5 crore vacancies since its inception.

Officials said the Labour Ministry has signed similar pacts over the past year with companies such as Amazon, Swiggy, Rapido and Quikr Jobs, which together have added close to five lakh vacancies to NCS.

Zepto Statement

Zepto co-founder Kaivalya Vohra welcomed the tie-up, saying the move will “provide thousands of gig and full-time opportunities, helping to empower India’s youth and contribute to the nation’s economic growth.”

The ministry’s secretary, Vandana Gurnani, said the collaboration will also support formalisation and greater social-security coverage for workers who join through the platform.

Officials framed the MoU as part of a broader government push to strengthen employability and skilling through the NCS portal, which offers services including job-matching, career counselling and links to skill-development programmes.

Labour Ministry sources said integrating large private-sector hirers into NCS helps map demand more accurately and channel candidates towards registered social-security schemes and e-Shram registration where applicable.

Analysts POV

Analysts said the Zepto deal underscores how digital platforms and quick-commerce firms are increasingly being seen as channels for entry-level urban jobs, roles that can be on-ramps to more formal employment if matched with training and social-security measures.

Critics caution, however, that quality of work, stability and benefits for gig workers will determine whether such tie-ups translate into durable livelihood gains.

The MoU was signed on Sept. 24 in New Delhi; further operational details such as the timeline for posting roles, categories of jobs to be opened and mechanisms for candidate shortlisting were described as part of the initial pact and will be rolled out through the NCS portal, officials said.