Nokia is preparing for layoffs in India amid global job cuts

Nokia is reportedly planning to cut thousands of jobs in a global reduction plan that will impact 20% of its 74,000 total workforce, while India is set to feel the biggest loss, with 3000 jobs at stake.

Nokia has over 17,000 employees in India, and news reports indicate that up to 20% of the India unit could be impacted.

This is due to duplicating roles following the merger of business units and a 15% decline in Q4 2025 net sales in India. 

The company is also making leadership changes in India, appointing Samar Mittal for the role of India Country Business Leader and Vibha Mehra as India Country Manager.

These shifts come on the heels of Tarun Chhabra’s departure from his position as the former head of India.

Nokia’s India performance has weakened in recent months with reports of a 15 per cent year-on-year drop in net sales to 393 million euros in the fourth quarter of 2025, compared to 463 million euros in the same period last year.

According to a report by Money Control, 14,000 roles are now at stake at Nokia globally.

The layoffs are part of a long-term plan by Nokia stemming from 2023 in a bid by the company to manage financial pressure.

In late 2024, Nokia laid off close to 2,000 employees in Greater China, representing about a fifth of its base there.

It also planned to cut another 350 jobs across Europe as part of efforts to lower costs in the same year.

This cut in China follows a decline in market share as Chinese operators favour local vendors like Huawei and ZTE.

Nokia also faced lower 5G equipment demand with a significant slowdown in spending by telecommucations operators in North America and India.

Adaptation of AI-driven, lower-headcount requirements is also mentioned as a reason for the global job cut.

Globally, Nokia’s workforce has declined over the years, from around 103,000 employees in 2018 to about 74,100 currently.