Archive · 23 Sep 2026
Global firms often make Indian layoff decisions abroad
Blind asked Indian technology workers who decides when jobs are cut.
Many workers said the final decision is made in another country.
This may make Indian employees feel far removed from the people deciding their jobs.
One Oracle worker alleged that layoffs happened in India first because they were cheaper and legally quieter.
The survey found that many companies have only limited senior leadership in India.
Some workers said their reporting line stops at the manager or director level.
Others said they did not know who approved hiring or layoffs.
The findings came as several large technology companies announced job cuts affecting employees in India.
A Blind survey found many Indian professionals believe headcount-cutting decisions are made outside India.
Among companies with senior Indian leadership, respondents most often cited PayPal, Salesforce, Visa, ServiceNow, Uber and Oracle.
Oracle reportedly cut 21,000 jobs during the last fiscal year, with India estimated to account for more than half.
More than half of surveyed companies were reported to lack senior leadership in India.
The survey was conducted among 1,467 Indian professionals between 21 August and 16 September 2026.
- Who
- Blind surveyed 1,467 working professionals from India, including employees of major technology companies.
- What
- The survey examined who makes hiring and layoff decisions affecting Indian employees.
- When
- The survey was conducted from 21 August to 16 September 2026.
- Where
- The survey concerned employees working in India and decision-makers located outside the country.
- Why
- It was conducted amid layoffs by major technology companies, including Oracle, PayPal and Uber.
- Survey organization
- Blind, an anonymous professional network and mobile app
- Respondents
- 1,467 working professionals from India
- India-based reporting lines
- 44% of respondents said their reporting line extended to a vice president level in India
- Reported external decisions
- Hiring and firing decisions were said to be made outside India by 65% at PayPal, 59% at Salesforce, 58% at Visa, 50% at ServiceNow, 48% at Uber and 46% at Oracle
- Companies with lower figures
- Amazon and Qualcomm were each reported at 25%, while Adobe was reported at 33%
- Oracle layoffs
- Oracle reportedly reduced its workforce by 21,000 during the last fiscal year; a separate September figure cited 6,000 global layoffs, including up to 3,000 in India
- Uncertainty among employees
- 15% said they did not know who approved hiring, while 18% did not know who approved layoffs