Mumbai, Aug. 20 -- After a lull, top Indian retailers have resumed large-scale hiring. This time, it's driven by India's small cities and towns, even as urban demand has yet to climb out of a slump.

The four largest listed retailers-Reliance Retail Ltd (part of Reliance Industries Ltd), D'Mart operator Avenue Supermarts Ltd, Titan Co. andTrent Ltd-together added 46,000 employees in fiscal 2024-25, according to their annual reports. :Just a year ago, the sector saw layoffs and hiring freezes as companies shut unprofitable large outlets.

However, over the past twelve months, they shifted focus to tier 2 and smaller cities, recruiting from nearby areas as consumption patterns in these regions now rival those of large metros.

"There are ju...