Nokia’s sweeping layoffs signal deep reset, India teams brace for impact

In a sweeping global overhaul, Nokia is preparing to cut up to 14,000 jobs worldwide, with its India operations likely to feel the impact as the company accelerates a major cost-cutting and restructuring drive.

The Finnish telecom major, once the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer, is targeting a reduction of nearly 20% of its global workforce, currently estimated at over 74,000 employees. India, where Nokia employs more than 17,000 people, is expected to be among the regions affected by the layoffs.

The move comes amid a broader wave of job cuts across the global tech industry, with giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google already trimming headcount, while Meta is also reportedly planning significant layoffs.

India business under pressure

Nokia’s India business has shown signs of strain, with net sales declining 15% year-on-year to €393 million (approximately ₹4,290 crore) in the fourth quarter of 2025, down from €463 million (around ₹5,000 crore) in the same period a year earlier. The slowdown has intensified the urgency for operational restructuring.

Leadership overhaul underway

As part of its India reset, Nokia has initiated key leadership changes. Samar Mittal has been appointed India Country Business Leader, while Vibha Mehra will take over as India Country Manager from April 1, 2026. Former India head Tarun Chhabra has exited amid the ongoing organizational transition.

Under the new structure, Mittal will assume end-to-end responsibility for customer operations, marking a shift towards tighter execution and streamlined decision-making.

Duplication and restructuring drive cuts

The layoffs are expected to span multiple functions in India, including global and shared roles. A key trigger is believed to be organisational overlap following Nokia’s 2023 integration of its Cloud and Network Services division with Mobile Networks, which created role duplication.

The restructuring aims to eliminate redundancies while improving efficiency across business verticals.

Long-term workforce decline

Nokia’s workforce reduction is part of a longer trend. The company has cut nearly 30,000 jobs over the past eight years, shrinking from about 103,000 employees in 2018 to around 74,100 today. In India, the workforce has seen a modest reduction of about 500 during the same period.

Reports also indicate that additional job cuts are being planned across Europe, with around 1,400 roles at risk in countries including Greece, Italy, Germany, and France.

Industry-wide consolidation

Nokia’s restructuring mirrors a broader consolidation trend in the telecom sector. Rival Ericsson has also undertaken significant layoffs, cutting around 5,000 jobs last year, with further reductions reportedly on the horizon.

As telecom and tech companies recalibrate amid slowing growth and rising costs, Nokia’s latest move underscores the scale of transformation underway—and the uncertainty facing thousands of employees globally.