Qualcomm has begun job cuts in India, with around 1,000 or more jobs potentially at risk, The Financial Express reported. The first round of job cuts began at its Bengaluru facility on Monday.
The layoffs in India follow job cuts in the US, with the exercise expected to be carried out in phases across its operations. This comes as the US-based chipmaker undertakes a global workforce restructuring.
How many jobs at risk
Sources told the Financial Express that the global restructuring could affect around 7 percent of Qualcomm’s 52,000-strong workforce. Qualcomm had approximately 52,000 employees globally as of September 2025, most of them full-time, the Reuters report mentioned in a report last month.
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon was quoted by Reuters as stating in a memo last month, "As we have expanded the business, so have the competencies and skills we require...We must have the right people in the right roles so they can perform at their best and the company can continue to succeed."
With approximately 20,000 employees in India, the country could account for around 1,000 job losses or slightly more, based on a similar proportion.
“At a similar ratio, layoffs in India can be estimated at around 1,000 employees or a little higher than that,” Pareekh Jain, CEO and lead analyst at EIIRTrend, told FE.
What's offered in severance package?
According to FE, employees affected by the layoffs were offered severance equivalent to three months’ pay, linked to their tenure.
Those signing their relieving documents within three days have been offered an additional month’s salary.
When is next round of job cuts expected?
Another round of job cuts is expected in January, analysts said.
When were layoffs announced?
In October, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon informed employees of the restructuring in an internal memo, describing it as a performance-focused reduction. The memo did not specify the number of positions that would be eliminated.
According to Reuters, Amon said the workforce reduction would take place in November, following the company’s annual employee reviews, as part of efforts to build a stronger performance culture.
Qualcomm has not officially commented on the India layoffs. An email sent to the company did not elicit a response till the time of going to the press.
Qualcomm layoff in California soon?
Meanwhile, Qualcomm is expected to file layoff notices in California in the coming days under the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, Investing.com reported. The number of employees affected in the state has not yet been confirmed.
Qualcomm earnings
Overall, the company reported earnings per share of $2.17, in line with analyst expectations, the report added. Revenue came in at $10.44 billion, beating the market forecast of $10.14 billion.
Company expects growth in data centres and other businesses
The company, however, expects growth in data centres and other businesses beyond smartphones to more than offset the lost revenue by fiscal 2027. It has been expanding into the artificial intelligence data-centre market as it seeks to diversify beyond its traditional handset business.
Qualcomm expects non-smartphone businesses to account for the majority of its chip sales in fiscal 2027, according to Reuters.