Amid India’s tech boom, Oracle’s sweeping layoffs reveal the strain of global AI ambitions; 12,000 jobs lost, more cuts looming, reshaping the country’s tech workforce.
Oracle has reportedly laid off around 12,000 employees in India, part of a wider global retrenchment affecting 30,000 staff. The move, confirmed by affected workers but not officially commented on by the company, signals growing turbulence in India’s electronics and IT services industry.
Meanwhile, multinational firms continue to restructure to meet rising costs and demands associated with artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The layoffs represent nearly 40 per cent of Oracle’s 30,000-strong workforce in India. Sources within the company said another round of job cuts could follow within a month. Severance packages have been offered, but only to those who resign amicably, raising concerns among employees about the terms of exit.
Globally, Oracle has been redirecting capital expenditure towards building data centres capable of handling AI workloads, while continuing to focus on its core database business.
Analysts note that large-scale layoffs by a major multinational could ripple across the wider sector, affecting suppliers, contractors and smaller firms dependent on global technology giants.
Employees reported receiving compensation that includes 15 days’ salary for each completed year of service, one month’s notice pay, leave encashment, gratuity where applicable, and a two-month salary top-up. However, the conditional nature of the severance package has drawn criticism.
Oracle’s restructuring follows its September 2025 announcement of a surge in performance obligations to $455 billion, driven by a major deal with OpenAI. Leadership changes have also taken place. Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia were appointed as Co-Chief Executive Officers (Co-CEOs) of Oracle in September 2025, succeeding Safra Catz, who became Vice Chair of the Board.
