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Google layoffs hit India: Employees to face job cuts from next week
A Google spokesperson confirmed the ongoing restructuring, noting that since the consolidation of the Platforms and Devices teams last year, the company has been focused on becoming more agile and efficient.
Google has initiated a global restructuring effort, resulting in significant layoffs across its Platforms and Devices division—including teams working on Android software, Pixel smartphones, and the Chrome browser. While hundreds of roles have been cut globally, the impact on Google’s India operations appears more measured.
In its Hyderabad and Bengaluru offices, the company is reportedly opting to reassign engineering talent to more revenue-generating projects, rather than implement immediate layoffs. This approach reflects a strategic decision to optimise resources by redeploying skilled employees into roles that directly contribute to business outcomes. However, sources indicate that departments such as advertising, sales, and marketing may not be as fortunate, with job cuts expected to begin in these sectors as early as next week.
Also Read: Goldman Sachs confirms May layoffs with $80K average severance per employee: Report
A Google spokesperson confirmed the ongoing restructuring, noting that since the consolidation of the Platforms and Devices teams last year, the company has been focused on becoming more agile and efficient. This effort has involved workforce reductions, in addition to voluntary exit schemes rolled out earlier this year.
This is not the first time the tech giant has implemented large-scale restructuring. In early 2023, Google laid off approximately 12,000 employees globally—around 6% of its workforce—citing the need to align headcount with evolving product priorities. That round affected multiple functions including engineering, product, and corporate teams, with Indian offices also seeing a share of the impact. During the same period, divisions such as Google Cloud and Waze underwent layoffs aimed at boosting efficiency.
Earlier this year, Google’s parent company Alphabet also undertook job cuts in several prominent business areas, including YouTube, hardware, and advertising sales, as part of broader cost-cutting and efficiency measures in response to slowing revenue growth. Employees across Asia-Pacific, including India, have since remained on alert, anticipating further downstream effects of restructuring decisions made at the company’s US headquarters.
These layoffs are part of a wider trend among global tech companies striving to streamline operations and prioritise profitability amid economic uncertainty and the ongoing AI race. Google’s decision to reallocate rather than release engineering staff in India suggests a deliberate effort to retain critical talent while adapting to shifting business demands.
As the company continues to recalibrate, employees in at-risk departments face growing uncertainty. The full scope of the impact on Google’s Indian workforce is expected to become clearer in the coming weeks. Industry observers suggest that while these measures may support financial resilience, they also highlight a more cautious stance on hiring and expansion, particularly in markets like India, where talent remains affordable but performance expectations are rising.
