The global layoffs landscape in 2025 paints a stark picture of economic recalibration. Over 172,000 workers have been let go worldwide, with the tech sector bearing the brunt 142,850 jobs slashed across 510 incidents, averaging 567 daily. Driven by AI integration, tariff hikes, and recession fears, sectors like manufacturing, retail, and finance follow suit. In the US, federal restructuring and corporate overhauls dominate, while Europe grapples with insolvency ripples.
India, though affected, leverages its youthful workforce to counter this, projecting 9% job market growth amid global contraction. This resilience stems from diversification into green energy and fintech, positioning the country as a buffer against the storm.
Recent Layoffs in India 2025
| Company | Number of Layoffs | Reason(s) |
| TCS | 12,000+ employees (≈2% of workforce) | Largest-ever layoff at TCS, restructuring workforce to align with AI adoption, automation of routine IT tasks, and skill mismatches. |
| Oracle | 100+ employees (reports suggest ~10% of India staff) | Global cost-cutting, restructuring Cloud (OCI) & financial services teams, pivoting to AI after OpenAI deal. |
| Microsoft | Thousands globally, India teams affected | Reorganizing engineering & sales units, shifting resources to AI and cloud-driven roles. |
| Salesforce | 5,000 employees globally, India also impacted | Customer support & sales roles cut as AI and automation reshape CRM operations. |
| Infosys | Numbers not disclosed (hiring slowed, role trims ongoing) | Slowed fresher onboarding, optimizing pyramid structure, reskilling gap as AI tools expand. |
| Wipro | Hundreds (exact numbers undisclosed) | Cost rationalization, project cancellations, and automation-led redundancies. |
| Indian Startups (overall) | 5,649 layoffs (Jan-Sep 2025) | Funding winter, AI replacing junior roles, and regulatory pressures. |
| Games24x7 | Hundreds (not fully disclosed) | Regulatory crackdown on gaming + operational cost cuts. |
| Significant layoffs in Platforms & Devices division | Global restructuring, focus shifting to AI-first products. |
Amazon CEO Jassy says “AI will lead to ‘fewer people doing some of the jobs’ that get automated”.
From Setbacks to Startups
Despite the pain, layoffs have spurred entrepreneurship in India. Many IT professionals are using severance and savings to launch startups or join early-stage ventures. Government programs like Startup India and skill schemes (see next section) aim to turn job losses into innovation.
In India, where 90% of the workforce is informal, this trend amplifies.
For instance, Sandeep Kochhar, CEO & Storyteller, BlewMinds – Believe. Be. Beyond laid off from U.S. firm years ago used the setback to pivot into consulting. Within months he Co-founded Paint Minds Consulting and Blew Minds Consulting (career coaching firms). He now reflects that being laid off became an opportunity to reflect and re-look at life.
Others are forming community-driven ventures.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder, Paytm views AI tools like ChatGPT as ‘new consultants’ inspiring post-layoff innovations.
He says, “AI will not only replace routine human functions but also open up fresh job opportunities in emerging tech domains. We must learn to use AI not just as a tool, but as a co-worker, or even an executive”.
Anupam Mittal, Founder & CEO, Shaadi.com noted on LinkedIn how his own 2001 layoff led to new ideas (he later succeeded with People Group).
In 2001, I was laid off in the US during the dot-com crash. No plan. No savings. No clue what came next. For weeks, I blamed the economy and refreshed job boards like they’d solve my life. Then one night, I scribbled a question in my diary, “What would I build if I had nothing left to lose?” That one thought changed everything. I stopped applying and started building one rough website, one tiny step at a time. A couple of years later, that blurry little idea became Shaadi.com. Then came Makaan.com & Mauj. Looking back, it wasn’t clarity that got me started. It was action. Clarity doesn’t come before action. It comes from action.
In the current wave, some ex-employees are collaborating on startups in AI, fintech and e-commerce, sensing gaps in the market. Venture funds and incubators are also hearing more pitches from layoff survivors turned founders.
Strategies from Crisis to Careers
Recognizing the challenge, India is doubling down on skills and new industries. Corporate and government strategies include:
Nikhil Barshikar, Founder & CEO, Imarticus Learning, says,” The layoffs at TCS are not about individual performance but are about systemic unpreparedness”.
Reskilling: Industry groups stress upskilling. NASSCOM warns the IT sector is at an inflection point and is realigning its workforce. Companies like TCS are reportedly ramping training in AI, cloud and cybersecurity, and committing to redeploy staff internally and that ongoing reskilling programs aim to convert coders into AI/data specialists. By Q4 FY25 over 1.5 million Indian professionals had taken AI/GenAI training, reflecting this push.
TCS CEO K. Krithivasan says, “Job cuts are due to a ‘skill mismatch’ and not because of artificial intelligence replacing roles”.
Government Push: New policies incentivize hiring and jobs. In Budget 2024-25 India launched an Rs 2 lakh crore Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme to spur formal-sector hiring. ELI offers employers wage subsidies for first-time hires and funds skill development (internships, ITI upgrades).
In parallel, schemes like Startup India and Make in India continue to support entrepreneurs and manufacturing. State governments are also offering grants to set up tech parks and startups outside big cities, hoping to broaden job creation beyond metros.
In short, India is positioning itself on the global jobs chessboard by reinforcing strengths and correcting weaknesses. Education and vocational programs (from polytechnics to online upskilling) are being aligned to industry needs.
Winding It Up!
India isn’t just weathering the tech layoff storm, it’s rewiring it. Through reskilling, startups, and bold policies, disruption becomes opportunity, and layoffs turn into a ladder to global leadership in jobs and innovation.