Qualcomm India Layoffs: Why Senior Engineers Are Affected and What They’re Getting

Qualcomm is reportedly initiating a major workforce reduction in India. According to reports, the US-based semiconductor company is handing out termination notices, with senior engineers and employees with several years of experience said to be among those affected. While Qualcomm has not officially confirmed the number of job cuts, estimates suggest that between 600 and 1,200 positions could be at risk. The restructuring is also allegedly taking place in the US and other markets.

Qualcomm Layoffs in India

According to reports, the first round of layoffs has affected senior engineers and employees who have spent several years at the US-based semiconductor company. Moneycontrol reported that the exercise is expected to extend to its engineering and research facilities in Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, and Chennai in the coming days.

Qualcomm has not officially disclosed how many employees in India will lose their jobs. The company has an estimated workforce of around 20,000 in the country, and unconfirmed industry estimates suggest that the cuts could affect between 600 and 1,200 employees, which translates to approximately 3 to 6 percent of its India workforce. However, the actual number remains unverified.

The workforce reduction follows an internal communication from Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, who reportedly described the exercise as a "performance-focused" workforce reduction. In an October memo reviewed by Reuters, Amon reportedly said the company wanted to strengthen its performance culture and address situations where employees had consistently fallen short of expectations.

Qualcomm Layoffs in India: Affected Employee Accounts

One employee who identified herself as a senior ASIC Design Verification Engineer and said she had worked at Qualcomm for six years and 10 months shared details of her exit on Reddit. According to the post, the employee was allegedly offered two months of pay until January 12, followed by compensation equivalent to another 3.2 months of salary. They also mentioned receiving an additional bonus.

Another alleged employee at Qualcomm's Bengaluru office shared on Reddit that their last working day (LWD) was scheduled for the end of January. According to their account, the severance package was calculated based on the number of years they worked at Qualcomm, plus an additional three months' salary. The employee also claimed that signing the severance agreement within two days would make them eligible for another month's salary.

The employee said they were informed of the decision during a video call with a director, who read from a prepared document but could not address their questions. They added that their performance had been good during the year and that a promotion was also pending, as their manager had previously communicated. The employee therefore felt the decision was not related to individual performance.

A third alleged Qualcomm employee, who said they joined the company in Bengaluru in September 2025, also shared details of their layoff on the forum. The employee said they were called for a one-on-one meeting with their manager, only to find an HR representative present. They were then told their role was being eliminated.

According to the employee, their manager said the decision was driven by business requirements rather than individual performance. A senior staff member later reportedly explained that the layoffs were linked to AI-related changes and cost-cutting measures. The employee claimed they were selected partly because they had less experience than others at the same level, despite having received positive feedback on some of their achievements.

The employee also shared details of the severance package they were reportedly offered. This included three months of salary, an additional amount equivalent to one month's salary for each year of service, and another month's salary if they signed and submitted the layoff documents within two to three days. Their last working day was reportedly scheduled for the end of January.

They further claimed that managers had been asked to identify employees across different engineering levels, including engineers and senior engineers, suggesting that the exercise could affect multiple teams.

Qualcomm Layoffs in India: Severance Terms

While the chipmaker has not disclosed the severance terms offered to employees in India, the accounts shared by affected workers on Reddit offer some indication of the compensation they may receive. According to these unverified employee accounts, the package could include a base severance payment equivalent to two weeks of gross salary, plus an additional two weeks of salary for each year of service.

Employees may also receive pro-rated compensation for incomplete years of employment, a lump-sum payment towards health coverage, and an additional month's salary if they sign their severance agreements within a specified deadline. Some accounts suggest that the additional month's salary may be available to those who sign their exit documents within two days. The reported structure also means that employees who have spent several years at Qualcomm could receive considerably more than those with shorter tenures.

Qualcomm has not publicly confirmed the layoffs or revealed the final number of positions being eliminated as part of the reported restructuring exercise. Gadgets 360 has reached out to the company for a statement, and we will update the story when we hear back.