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Visa Cuts 2,600 Jobs Amid AI Push, India Employees Shocked
Visa is a company that helps people pay for things with cards.
It decided to let go of about 2,600 people who work for it.
That is like seven out of every one hundred workers.
The company says it is doing this so it can focus on artificial intelligence, which is when computers learn to do jobs people used to do.
In India, many Visa workers got emails very early in the morning on July 29 telling them their jobs were ending.
Some were surprised because even very good workers were let go.
Visa is not losing money, so this is not because the company is in trouble.
It wants to be ready for a future where computers can do more work.
Other companies like Mastercard and Amazon are also cutting jobs while they use more AI.
This makes many workers worry that their jobs might be done by computers someday.
Visa is eliminating about 2,600 positions, roughly 7 percent of its global workforce, with some India employees receiving layoff emails between 4 am and 5 am on July 29.
The cuts primarily hit technology and product teams, according to Reuters, and affected senior directors, engineering managers and long-tenured staff.
CEO Ryan McInerney says Visa is focusing on agentic AI—systems that perform tasks with human supervision—as it redirects resources toward growth areas.
Visa said the restructuring is not due to a business crisis, citing resilient consumer spending and a transaction-based model with less credit risk.
Visa had more than 3,500 employees in India across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad, and has not disclosed how many India-based staff are affected.
- Who
- Visa, led by CEO Ryan McInerney, and roughly 2,600 employees worldwide, including staff at its India technology hubs.
- What
- Visa eliminated about 2,600 jobs, or approximately 7 percent of its workforce, primarily in technology and product teams, as part of an AI-focused restructuring.
- Where
- Globally, with significant impact on Visa's India operations in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad.
- When
- Layoff emails were sent on July 29, 2026, with some India employees receiving notices between 4 am and 5 am.
- Why
- To make the company more efficient and redirect resources toward stronger growth areas, with agentic AI central to its strategy.
Company Perspective
Workforce Perspective
Reason for the cuts
Company Perspective
Visa says it is cutting jobs to become more efficient and redirect resources toward growth areas, describing it as a workforce shift rather than a response to a business crisis.
Workforce Perspective
Affected employees were caught off guard by early-morning emails, and even strong performers with good reviews were laid off, raising uncertainty about job security.
Role of artificial intelligence
Company Perspective
The company views agentic AI as a way to perform tasks faster with human supervision and stay competitive as the payments industry changes.
Workforce Perspective
Workers and commentators worry AI means fewer people will be needed to do the same work, threatening India's large technology workforce.
Key facts
- Company
- Visa
- Global job cuts
- About 2,600 positions (~7% of workforce)
- Total workforce
- Approximately 34,100 employees (fiscal 2025)
- India employees
- More than 3,500
- India hubs
- Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad
- Layoff notice date
- July 29, 2026 (emails sent as early as 4 am)
- Severance / notice period
- Roughly 15 to 30 days
- Chief Executive
- Ryan McInerney
Sources
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