Qualcomm layoffs in India: 1,000 tech jobs at risk as IIT Hyderabad graduate loses Rs 26 lakh campus-placed job – The Times of India

Qualcomm layoffs in India: 1,000 tech jobs at risk as IIT Hyderabad graduate loses Rs 26 lakh campus-placed job

A social media post about an IIT Hyderabad graduate has drawn attention to the human cost of the chipmaker’s global workforce reduction

Qualcomm has begun implementing a global workforce reduction that is now reaching its Indian operations, with reports indicating that around 1,000 roles in the country could be at risk

The cuts have drawn public attention after a post on the social media platform X highlighted the case of a young engineer who lost his job despite a rigorous academic path and a prestigious campus placement

The post, shared by X user Vikas Alwys, described the experience of a friend affected by the layoffs. According to the account, the engineer had received a non-technical job offer from Sutherland while completing his BTech. He declined it and took a year off to prepare for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE)

His effort was rewarded. He cleared the examination with a rank of around 1,100 and secured admission to IIT Hyderabad for an MTech in VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), a specialisation central to semiconductor design. The two-year programme culminated in a campus placement at Qualcomm. The offer reportedly carried a base salary of Rs 18 lakh per annum and a total cost to company of more than Rs 26 lakh.

Despite this record, he has now been laid off. “This guy studied really hard and got placed at Qualcomm through campus placements,” the post stated

It concluded with a remark on the state of the industry, observing that the technology job market appears to be worsening

Qualcomm employs approximately 20,000 people across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR and Chennai. While about 1,000 Indian roles are said to be affected, the final figure has not been confirmed. The company has reportedly not verified the number of employees impacted in India and declined to comment when approached by India Today Tech

The reductions follow an internal communication from chief executive Cristiano Amon, who described the exercise as a “performance-focused reduction.” Notifications were expected to begin in November, following the company’s annual employee reviews. Reports also suggest that Qualcomm may undertake a further round of job cuts in January 2027, indicating that the uncertainty may not be over for the workforce.

The episode carries particular significance for graduates entering the semiconductor industry. For many Indian engineering students, a path through GATE, a postgraduate degree at an Indian Institute of Technology and a campus placement with a leading multinational represents the pinnacle of professional achievement. It demands years of preparation, financial commitment and sacrifice, including, as in this case, forgoing an immediate job offer.

That such a trajectory can end in redundancy underscores a sobering reality: academic distinction and a strong starting package do not guarantee long-term job security in a volatile technology market. The case also reflects a broader pattern in the sector, where companies periodically recalibrate their workforces in response to market conditions and internal performance assessments. Reports elsewhere note that other large employers, including Boeing, have also announced workforce reductions, suggesting that the pressure extends beyond a single company or industry.

Nevertheless, the broader developments, namely the reported scale of the cuts, the CEO’s description of the exercise and the anticipated second round in January, point to a challenging period for employees at one of the world’s leading semiconductor firms. For those still preparing to enter the industry, the episode serves as a reminder of the value of adaptability and of the need to plan for uncertainty, even after reaching what appears to be the summit of an engineering career.

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Source: www.educationtimes.com