Qualcomm begins India layoffs

US technology corporation Qualcomm has started laying off employees in India as part of a broader global workforce restructuring programme.

The exercise is expected to affect around 1,000 employees, or nearly 5-6 per cent of its workforce in the country, according to reports.

Layoffs apparently began at Qualcomm's Bengaluru operations and primarily affected senior engineers and employees with several years of experience, reports said.

The restructuring is expected to extend to the company's engineering and research centres in Hyderabad, Delhi NCR and Chennai in the coming days, they added.

Affected employees received severance pay equivalent to three months’ salary, with additional compensation linked to their tenure, reports said, adding that employees who sign their exit documents within three days have reportedly been offered an additional month’s salary as an incentive.

Qualcomm has not publicly confirmed the severance arrangements.

Qualcomm chief executive Cristiano Amon had announced a global workforce restructuring on October 20, and to reduce headcount following its annual performance review process.

The company described the exercise as performance-focused, to strengthen accountability and align its workforce with evolving business priorities. But in India, senior engineers and experienced employees have been reportedly laid off creating concerns as to the objective extends to organisational rationalisation and cost-cutting measures.

Employees may be selected using individual performance ratings, team-level assessments and senior management opinions, including from US-based business leaders, the reports said. Employees have also reported potential reductions across radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) engineering teams.

Qualcomm’s biggest revenue contributing sector, the global smartphone market, has been under pressure, causing the company to diversify into artificial intelligence, automotive technologies, connected devices and data-centre semiconductors.

Global tech layoffs are accelerating in 2026, with more than 80,000 jobs already cut in the first quarter and total losses likely to exceed 3 lakh this year, led by companies like Oracle, Amazon, and Meta.