Nokia to Lay Off 14,000 Employees: Here’s Why
Nokia is set to carry out a massive round of layoffs. The company is preparing to significantly downsize its workforce. These layoffs are expected to have an impact in India as well. Alongside reducing its workforce, Nokia is embarking on a restructuring initiative. Reports suggest that Nokia intends to cut 20 percent of its global workforce. Let’s take a closer look at which departments will be affected by these layoffs and what the impact will be on the number of Indian employees.
Nokia—once counted among the world’s largest smartphone manufacturers—is now preparing to lay off a substantial number of employees. The company has finalized plans to reduce its global workforce by 20 percent. According to Moneycontrol, the Finnish company currently maintains a global workforce of 74,000 employees. In India, it employs 17,000 people. Consequently, the company is proceeding with a new round of layoffs, with reports indicating that 14,000 employees are set to be let go from Nokia.
Nokia’s layoffs come at a time when tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have already laid off thousands of employees from their respective workforces. Meta, too, may soon lay off more than 15,000 employees. Regarding Nokia’s performance in India, it has been noted that the company has been consistently incurring losses. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the company’s sales declined by 15 percent.
Nokia is also set to undergo restructuring within India. Changes to the company’s leadership structure are scheduled to take effect starting April 1, 2026. As part of this transition, Samar Mittal has been appointed as the Business Leader for India. Meanwhile, Vibha Mehra has been entrusted with the role of Country Manager for the company. These layoffs being conducted by companies in 2026 are not an isolated phenomenon; since the beginning of the year, several major tech giants have already announced workforce reductions. The impact of the growing trend of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the expansion of automation on employment has been highlighted on numerous occasions. It has been indicated that layoffs are likely to continue in the future as well.
