The FMCG sector is one of the largest ones in India and employs around 15 – 20% of the workforce. The FMCG vertical also among the top post-MBA careers in India. The Indian job market hit a 15-year low this year due to COVID. However, the FMCG sector showed tremendous resilience when compared to other industries. Several FMCG products are part of the essentials that were allowed to be sold during the nationwide lockdown. In this post, we will have an overview of the FMCG careers and jobs in India.
FMCG Careers & Jobs in India
Co-authored by Parinita Gupta
Introduction to the FMCG Sector
Fast-moving consumer goods or rather termed as FMCG is one of the most booming and developing sectors in India considering the population and the consumption of such goods in here. We practically see these goods every day, and everywhere we go.
FMCG refers to those products which we use in our daily lives, like beverages, cosmetics, sanitation products, packaged or canned food items, over the counter meds and other consumer products that we use in our everyday life.
Market Size of the FMCG Sector in India
The FMCG industry is the fourth largest sector in India by its economy and sales revenue. As per the studies, the FMCG sector is growing at a rate of 22% per year, which further validates the point that this industry will just keep going up. The retail market in India is projected to reach around $1.2 trillion US dollars and there a handful of major contributing factors to this incline, such as growing population, share markets, and most importantly the implementation of facilities like online shopping with the help of the internet.
The FMCG sector was expected to grow by 9 – 10% in 2019. Rural consumption contributes around 36% to the overall FMCG spending. FMCG urban segment witnessed a growth rate of 8% whereas the rural segment grew at 5% in the quarter ended in September 2019. Revenues of the FMCG sector has reached around 53 billion USD in FY18 and is projected to double in 2020. The consumption of such goods has been drastically increasing in the rural part of India and so is the demand, with the increasing amount of disposable income in each household.
Top FMCG Companies in India
The top FMCG companies manufacture products that may include food and beverage, personal care, health care, skin care, oral care and many more.
The top companies include Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, Hindustan Unilever, JBS, L’Oréal, Parle Argo, Colgate Palmolive, ITC ltd, Britannia, Marrico, P & G, Godrej, Amul along with beverage companies like Coca Cola, Pepsi etc. The list has taken three main parameters to be evaluated, such as revenue, market capitalization and a number of global brands.
Required Qualifications and Skills for Jobs in the FMCG Sector
There are several job opportunities available in FMCG companies with various different job profiles such as of a sales representative, sales manager, area sales manager, zonal manager, brand manager, communications manager etc. Getting such jobs in India demands you to have a strong general education and communication skills at the entry level, and as you move up, it also requires you to have some managerial knowledge and experience.
At the end of the day, it’s all about the experience. Getting a BBA/MBA degree or certificate courses in business administration may help you get a jump in your career, however, managing skills required in the FMCG sector is quite different from the skills required in any other sector so definitely an exclusive experience in the FMCG sector is appreciated. Technological awareness is very much needed to work in this field apart from just other soft skills. You always have to implement your technical skills to complete the work in this sector.
Top Job Functions in the FMCG Sector in India
- Retain Sales & Business Development
- Marketing & Advertisement
- Supply Chain & Logistics
- Production & Manufacturing
- Quality Control
- Technology / IT
Salaries in the FMCG Sector in India
So, the pay scale? Payscale for the jobs in the FMCG sector is one of the highest. It can range anywhere between 15k-25k INR/month for entry-level jobs in this sector and then it progresses from there onwards. It can usually go up to and over 1 lac INR/ per month depending on the post, job profile, and the location and status of the company.
Many companies offer commission/incentives on top of the basic salary and this commission completely depends on you and your work. As far as the location-specific salary trends are concerned, Bangalore, as the highest paying city in the country in the FMCG sector, with an average annual CTC paid at INR 14.6 lacs per annum, followed by Mumbai which stands at
INR 14.2 lacs per annum, Hyderabad and NCR with an average annual CTC of INR 13.6 lacs per annum, Chennai at INR 13.4 lacs per annum, Pune at INR 13.2 lacs per annum, and Kolkata at INR 11.4 lacs per annum.
Impact of COVID-19 on the FMCG Sector
Now, in the light of the recent events, and a major change in everyone’s lifestyle, it’s only fair if we discuss how it has affected FMCG sector and its jobs availability. The earnings of the FMCG sector has been very much affected due to the pandemic but experts say that whatever changes happening in this sector will not be very long lasting, once the pandemic ends, it will be one of quickest sector to bounce back to normal.
The demand for FMCG products has drastically increased ever since the pandemic, however, there has been a major lack in workforce. Nobody wants to work, fearing the virus and the companies have officially been shut down by the government.
Huge companies like Godrej and Hindustan Uniliver are taking measures to make sure that the production of goods is not affected and that the products are safely delivered to the consumers.
Both production and distribution of the FMCG products had been disrupted but as the world is getting more accustomed to this new way of living, the government has allowed the companies to start their production and distribution.
The government has given the guidelines for the transportation of essential items and about the definition of essential and non-essential items. The government has extremely responsive and accommodative. It is clear that the steps being taken are to resume operations.
Products with smaller shelf life have been wasted in huge quantities and the companies have had to suffer a major loss, and so did the retail stores and other distribution outlets, but where does it leave the job market and your career in the FMCG sector? If you’re a fresher looking for a job in this sector, not going to sugar coat this but it’s not happening.
The companies have been operating at even less than half of the workforce that is required. No companies are hiring because of the pandemic, as there is no point. The companies as of now are not hiring unless it’s a work from the home job offer.
They want a less crowd of people working as possible, so hiring any new candidates (except in a few exceptional cases) is completely out of the picture. It would be safe to say that the impact of COVID-19 on the FMCG job sector has been negative so far. However, once it all ends, it’s going to be better than ever.
Technological Innovation
The major companies are now planning to invest in digital technologies to facilitate e-ordering, e-invoicing, and e-collections using online payment platforms. They are trying to fix this ordering issue by creating a digital sales model with a mobile application.
Featured Image Source: The Free Press Journal