Amazon slashes 14,000 jobs globally, India faces 1,000 cuts, fresh layoffs looming

Amazon is reportedly preparing to cut up to 1,000 corporate jobs in India as part of its global layoff of around 14,000 employees.

The sweeping job cuts are part of a major restructuring effort Amazon announced this week, aimed at streamlining operations and accelerating its investments in artificial intelligence. The layoffs — affecting about 4% of Amazon’s 350,000 corporate and technology employees — represent one of the company’s largest workforce cuts to date.

In India, according to an Economic Times report, affected roles include departments including finance, marketing, human resources and technology, with most employees reporting to global teams. The overall number of layoffs in India may rise as the restructuring process progresses, the report added.

The move follows CEO Andy Jassy’s ongoing cost-cutting initiative. Last year, Jassy emphasized the need to “reduce classes, increase ownership, and help reduce bureaucracy.” His vision is now being aggressively implemented as Amazon reshapes its internal structure to adapt to what it calls “the most transformative technology since the Internet.”

“This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the Internet,” said Beth Galletti, Amazon’s senior vice president of People and Technology Experience. “We are convinced that we need to organize more agilely, with fewer layers and more ownership, to move as quickly as possible to the benefit of our clients and companies.”

In a post on the company’s blog, Galletti said Amazon is “working hard to support everyone whose role is affected,” including giving the most affected employees 90 days to find a new internal position. Those unable to secure a new role will receive severance pay, health benefits, placement services and additional support.

This round comes on the heels of previous layoffs in 2023, when Amazon cut more than 500 jobs in India and 9,000 jobs globally. Since 2022, the company has cut more than 27,000 jobs worldwide as part of a broad efficiency drive after heavy hiring during the pandemic.

Although revenue growth slowed in FY25, Amazon’s Indian business units — including Amazon Seller Services, Amazon Pay and Amazon Transport Services — saw minimal losses, driven by lower marketing and employee costs.

While reducing headcount, Amazon continues to invest in high-growth sectors such as generative AI, cloud computing and express commerce – where it faces stiff competition from Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and Zepto.

Jassy explained that the rise of artificial intelligence will permanently reshape roles within a company. “We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are done today, and more people doing other types of jobs,” he told employees.