According to certain internal sources, the lay off exercise will commence in a day or two. Managers have gone through some sessions of special training to learn how to communicate the layoffs and handle communications with the affected people.
| Photo Credit: FRANCIS MASCARENHAS
Amazon, the Seattle-based e-tailer that employs more than 1.5 million people globally, on Tuesday (October 28) said it would reduce it corporate workforce by about 14,000 as part of its ongoing exercise aimed at making the company leaner, less bureaucratic and AI-driven.
A section of the media reported that Amazon was laying off some 30,000 people, the largest corporate job cuts by the company, that would have implications across geographies, including in India where the company has 1.2 lakh to 1.3 lakh direct employees.
A few hours after the news of mass layoffs hit the headlines, Beth Galetti, senior vice- president of People Experience and Technology at Amazon, in a blogpost, informed employees on Tuesday the company was effecting organisational changes that would impact jobs of some of teammates.
“While this will include reducing in some areas and hiring in others, it will mean an overall reduction in our corporate workforce of approximately 14,000 roles,’’ she said. As India has a sizeable chunk of Amazon’s workforce, the impact on India would be quite significant.
Avinash Vashistha, Managing Director and Founder, Tholons, an AI and tech advisory firm said, Amazon’s massive firing plan marked a severe correction to its binge hiring during the pandemic, where it added over 5,00,000 people globally.
“This people-correction is driven by a strategic pivot to AI and a mandate to reduce excess bureaucracy. The impact on India will be significant. With a corporate workforce off roughly 35,000 in the country, the cuts targeting divisions such as AWS and HR will a few thousands of roles eliminated,’’ said Mr. Vashishta, former chairman and MD, Accenture India.
Aditya Narayan Mishra, MD and CEO, CIEL HR, a hiring solutions firm, commented that large scale layoffs linked to AI transitions show that the shift to automation was not without its challenges.
According to certain internal sources, the lay off exercise will commence in a day or two. Managers have gone through some sessions of special training to learn how to communicate the layoffs and handle communications with affected people.
Sharing a broader context about what’s happening and why, Ms. Galetti, further said, the reductions Amazon was sharing today (Tuesday) was a continuation of its work to get even stronger by further reducing bureaucracy, removing layers, and shifting resources to ensure the company was investing in its biggest bets.
Ms. Geletti also said, one may ask why Amazon was reducing roles when the company was performing well. “What we need to remember is that the world is changing quickly. This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the Internet, and it’s enabling companies to innovate much faster than ever before (in existing market segments and altogether new ones),’’ she said.
According to her, the company was working hard to support everyone whose role is impacted, including offering most employees 90 days to look for a new role internally. For teammates who are unable to find a new role at Amazon or who choose not to look for one, the company would offer them transition support, including severance pay, outplacement services, health insurance benefits, and more.
Published – October 28, 2025 08:03 pm IST
