Job cuts again? Nokia likely to lay off up to 20 per cent workforce globally, impact on India too

Nokia is expected to lay off as much as 20 per cent of its workforce globally. Scroll down to read the detailed story.

Nokia layoffs: Nokia is planning for a fresh round of layoffs, which is a part of its global restructuring plan, as per reports. The company is expected to be doing so to simplify the operations and do cost-cutting while simultaneously shifting the focus toward other emerging areas like artificial intelligence and network infrastructure. Nokia may reduce a massive 20 per cent of the workforce. Similar job cuts are expected to happen in India as well, as reported by Moneycontrol. The company at present has more than 74,000 employees globally, and India stands to be one of its main markets.

Leadership change in India

Not just the restructuring, but the company has also announced a major leadership change in its operations in India. The new India Country Business Leader has been appointed; his name is Samar Mittal. Alongside this, Vibha Mehra will be taking over as India Country Manager from April 1 this year.

The current India head is Tarun Chhabra, who will be stepping down from his role in the company. The reshuffle of this leadership is a part of Nokia’s huge plan to bring back a structure which is more streamlined and efficient.

“Nokia will leverage the expertise of two senior leaders to strengthen Nokia’s presence in India and support customers. This is aligned with Nokia’s global strategy, which was announced in November 2025. Nokia does not comment on individual employee matters,” a spokesperson of the company told Moneycontrol.

Why is Nokia cutting jobs?

According to Moneycontrol, the restructuring strategy of Nokia is associated with the company’s global strategy of restructuring, which was announced in November 2025. The company is now also moving from a three-division structure to that of a simpler two-segment model named Network Infrastructure and Mobile Infrastructure.

Is focus shifting to AI?

The company is now focusing mainly on the core infrastructure linked to telecom, along with some AI-driven technology. The businesses that are not part of the main priorities of the company are expected to be reviewed, as per reports.

Impact on India Operations

India is expected to witness job cuts in several functions, globally and support roles. In addition, the company is also looking forward to strengthening its presence in India by ensuring improvement in customer engagement and operational efficiency under the new leadership in the country.