US-based semiconductor company Qualcomm has reportedly begun laying off around 1,500 employees in India as part of a global workforce restructuring exercise. The job cuts come amid a renewed focus on performance and organisational efficiency under CEO Cristiano Amon.
The layoffs are affecting around 1,500 employees. The company has approximately 18,000 employees in India, making the reported reduction close to 8% of its local workforce.
The first round of job cuts has been reported at Qualcomm’s Bengaluru operations. The company also has major engineering and research centres in Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi-NCR. However, the specific teams and locations affected by the latest exercise have not been officially disclosed.
Qualcomm has not publicly confirmed the reported number of job cuts. An email seeking the company’s response did not receive a reply before publication.
India’s Role in Qualcomm’s Global Operations
The layoffs come even as India remains a key engineering and semiconductor development hub for Qualcomm. Its Indian teams contribute to wireless technology, artificial intelligence, computing, chip design, validation and system integration.
In February 2026, Qualcomm Technologies announced the successful tape-out of its 2nm semiconductor design, involving collaboration across its engineering centres in Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad.
The Bengaluru campus is a major development hub for next-generation wireless, AI, computing and system-level technologies. Qualcomm’s engineering workforce in India is its largest outside the United States.
Global Restructuring and Business Priorities
The India job cuts follow an internal communication issued by CEO Cristiano Amon in October, outlining a global, performance-focused workforce reduction. Employee notifications were expected to begin in November after the company’s annual performance reviews.
The restructuring comes as Qualcomm seeks to strengthen its performance culture and align its workforce with changing business priorities. The company is also expanding beyond its traditional smartphone-chip business into artificial intelligence, automotive technology and data-centre markets.
The reported layoffs highlight the pressure facing technology companies as they restructure operations while shifting investments towards emerging technology segments.
