Amid global tech layoffs, Nokia’s sweeping restructuring could see thousands of jobs axed, with India’s 17,000-strong workforce bracing for leadership changes and sales decline.
Nokia is preparing to reduce its global workforce by around 20 per cent, according to reports, marking one of the company’s largest restructuring efforts in recent years. The Finnish telecoms group, which currently employs about 74,000 people worldwide, could shed more than 14,000 roles as part of the plan.
The cuts are expected to affect operations in India, where the company has a workforce of over 17,000.
According to a report by The Times of India, the move comes amid a wider slowdown in the technology sector, with several major firms announcing layoffs in response to weaker demand and rising costs.
Commenting on the matter, Nokia said in a written statement, “Any regional headcount reductions are part of Nokia’s global cost-savings programme, which the company announced in 2023. As stated in the past, the target for this programme is to make between €800 million and €1.2 billion in cost savings by reducing headcount globally between 9000 and 14,000 by the end of 2026.”
The company clarified, “Nokia has not announced any specific regional guidance in India on headcount reductions. India continues to be an important hub for Nokia.”
Nokia’s India business has reported declining performance, with net sales falling 15 per cent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2025 to €393 million, compared with €463 million in the same period a year earlier. Reports suggest that Nokia has already begun preparations for job reductions in India, alongside leadership changes.
Samar Mittal has been appointed as India Country Business Leader, while Vibha Mehra will take over as Country Manager from 1 April 2026, following the departure of Tarun Chhabra. The restructuring is expected to affect multiple teams, including global and shared functions.
Industry analysts note that Nokia’s 2023 merger of its Cloud and Network Services unit with Mobile Networks may have created overlapping roles, which are now likely to be streamlined.
Globally, the company’s workforce has already declined from about 103,000 in 2018 to just over 74,000 today. Reports also indicate that job cuts could extend to parts of Europe.
