Bengaluru: “There was a constant fear that an email from HR could land any day. One day, it did. I was called to the office the next morning, completed my exit formalities, and just like that, years of hard work meant nothing.” Supriya (name changed)…in her late 30s, an operations manager at Amazon Web Services, said. She brings over 13 years of IT experience from Accenture, Infosys, and HCLTech.
She joined Amazon in November 2024 on a Rs 50 LPA package. In January 2026, she was impact completed all mandatory AI certifications and upskilling programmes. They requested anonymity since final settlements are still pending.
Layoff anxiety has gripped the IT workforce for over a year, sharpening in the past six months. Macro headwinds, cucuts in client spending, AI deflation, and a shift away from the traditional hiring pyramid are reshaping an industry in the middle of an AI-led transformation. ADVDH spoke to employees recently laid off from TCS, Amazon, and Oracle — many of whom had completed all mandatory AI certifications and upskilling programmes. They requested anonymity since final settlements are still pending.
In September 2025, Sumit, in his early 40s, was laid off from Oracle, where he worked for close to a decade. Unlike the recent layoff that cut about 12,000 jobs in India, there were no rumours of pink slips then — the news came as a shock. Oracle, where he worked for close to a decade. Unlike the recent layoff that cut about 12,000 jobs in India, there were no rumours of pink slips then — the news came as a shock. Oracle eliminated at least 3,000 roles that month as part of a restruc…