Amazon Lays Off 500+ Employees In India, Tech & HR Teams Most Affected

By Admin

30 Jan, 2026

Overview of the Latest Layoffs
Amazon has laid off more than 500 employees across its India operations as part of a broader global restructuring exercise. According to sources, the total number of affected employees in India is estimated to be between 500 and 700. This move is linked to Amazon’s worldwide plan to eliminate over 16,000 roles as the company reshapes its organisational structure.

Teams and Roles Impacted
The layoffs have hit Tech and HR teams the hardest, with Software Development Engineer (SDE) roles accounting for the highest number of job losses. Multiple reports suggest that the impact has been uneven across departments, with some teams seeing significant reductions as Amazon focuses on streamlining operations and improving efficiency.

Official Stand and Internal Communication
While Amazon declined to directly comment on queries raised by Inc42, it referred to an internal note shared by Beth Galetti, Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology. In the note, Galetti stated that the company is making additional organisational changes to reduce layers, increase ownership, and remove bureaucracy.

She further clarified that affected employees will receive transition support, including severance pay, outplacement services, and health insurance benefits, subject to local regulations. Galetti also emphasised that Amazon will continue hiring in strategic areas and that these changes should not be seen as a signal of frequent large-scale layoffs.

Context of Previous Job Cuts in India
This is not the first round of layoffs for Amazon in India. In November last year, the company reportedly cut up to 1,500 roles as part of the same global restructuring drive. At that time, over 1,000 employees were impacted across verticals such as Prime Video, HR (People Experience and Technology), Q&A devices, retail stores, and AWS.

Those layoffs mainly affected mid-senior and senior-level employees in Amazon’s Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru offices, with certain verticals witnessing entire teams being dissolved.

Broader Industry Trend and AI Impact
Amazon’s layoffs come amid a wider trend in the tech industry, where companies are increasingly adopting AI-led automation to optimise processes and reduce costs. This shift has resulted in significant job losses across the ecosystem. Notably, Indian startups alone reportedly laid off over 9,500 employees in 2025, highlighting the scale of workforce disruption driven by technological transformation.

Conclusion
The latest layoffs at Amazon underline the ongoing restructuring within global tech giants as they adapt to changing market dynamics and the rapid rise of AI. While the company continues to invest in long-term priorities and strategic hiring, the immediate impact on India’s tech and HR workforce reflects a challenging phase for professionals across the industry.