Qualcomm begins layoffs affecting 1,000 Indian employees

New Delhi US technology giant Qualcomm has begun laying off employees in India as part of a broader global workforce restructuring programme, with around 1,000 employees, or nearly 5-6 per cent of its Indian workforce, expected to be affected. The layoffs have reportedly started at the company's Bengaluru operations, primarily affecting senior engineers and employees with several years of experience. The exercise is expected to extend to Qualcomm's engineering and research centres in Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR and Chennai in the coming days. According to reports, affected employees have been offered severance packages equivalent to three months' salary, along with additional compensation based on their length of service. Employees signing their exit documents within three days have reportedly been offered an additional month's salary. However, Qualcomm has not publicly confirmed these compensation arrangements. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon announced the global workforce restructuring on October 20, following the company's annual performance review process. The company described the exercise as performance-focused, aimed at strengthening accountability and aligning its workforce with changing business priorities. However, the reported job cuts in India have raised concerns about possible organisational restructuring and cost-cutting measures, particularly as experienced engineers are among those affected. Media reports suggest that employee selection may involve individual performance ratings, team-level assessments and inputs from senior management, including US-based business leaders. The restructuring could also affect engineering teams working on radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technologies. Qualcomm, one of the world's leading semiconductor companies, has traditionally depended heavily on the global smartphone market for revenue. However, increasing pressure in the smartphone sector has encouraged the company to expand into emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, automotive technologies, connected devices and data-centre semiconductors. The latest layoffs come amid an accelerating global technology-sector restructuring, with several major companies reviewing workforce requirements and operating costs in response to changing market conditions.