Qualcomm Begins Layoffs in India, Cuts Start in Bengaluru
Qualcomm began cutting jobs at its Bengaluru operations on November 9, with about 1,000 positions across India potentially affected. The restructuring is expected to reach engineering and research facilities in Hyderabad, Delhi NCR and Chennai, while severance terms have not been publicly confirmed by the company.
Qualcomm began layoffs in India at its Bengaluru operations on November 9, with about 1,000 jobs nationwide potentially at risk, as the company restructures its workforce.
The first cuts have affected senior engineers and employees with several years at the semiconductor company. The process is expected to extend to engineering and research facilities in Hyderabad, Delhi NCR and Chennai in the coming days.
Severance and workforce impact
Qualcomm has not publicly disclosed how many Indian positions it plans to eliminate. The cuts could affect around 5-6% of its estimated 20,000-strong workforce in the country.
Employees affected by the layoffs have been offered severance equal to three months’ salary, plus additional compensation tied to their tenure, according to people familiar with the arrangements. Those who sign exit documents within three days have reportedly been offered another month’s salary.
The company has not publicly confirmed the severance terms. Qualcomm India did not respond to queries about the layoffs.
Smartphone market pressures
The India cuts follow a global workforce reduction announced by Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon on October 20. The company described the exercise as performance-focused and intended to strengthen accountability and align staffing with changing business priorities.
People familiar with the process said decisions may draw on individual performance ratings, team-level assessments and input from senior managers, including business leaders in the United States. Employees have also flagged possible reductions in radio frequency, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and global navigation satellite system engineering teams.
The restructuring comes as Qualcomm faces challenges in the smartphone market, its largest source of revenue, while seeking to expand in artificial intelligence, automotive technology, connected devices and data-center semiconductors.
Faisal Kawoosa, founder and chief analyst at Techarc, said weaker smartphone sales, especially in India, could affect suppliers across the semiconductor industry. “Techarc expects India’s smartphone market to decline 26-28% by volume and 7-8% by value in 2026. Smartphones account for 51% of Qualcomm’s revenue, so the company remains significantly dependent on this segment even as it diversifies,” he said.
Kawoosa said Qualcomm had gained traction in automotive, but the business would take time to grow and could account for 25-30% of revenue over the next three to five years. He said the company needed to identify its next major growth driver as it expands into infrastructure, automotive and computing.
