Nokia is set to lay off thousands of employees globally over time, reducing its workforce by 20%, according to reports. The company is likely to reduce its global workforce of around 74,000 employees by 20%, translating to more than 14,000 roles. The job cuts may also impact Nokia India operations, which employ over 17,000 employees. The layoffs come as part of a major global restructuring plan.
Nokia has recently elevated Samar Mittal as country business leader for India and appointed Vibha Mehra as country manager for India, as part of a new leadership model in the country. The appointments will be effective from April 1, 2026.
Back in November 2025, Nokia CEO Justin Hotard had unveiled a major structural overhaul to be implemented from 2026, simplifying the company into two primary segments — Network Infrastructure and Mobile Infrastructure.
Nokia’s workforce has seen a steady decline over the years globally. In 2018, Nokia employed around 103,000 people, but by the end of 2024, this had dropped to 75,600. Further, in 2025, Nokia slowed the pace of cuts, reducing its workforce by about 1,500 roles to end the year with approximately 74,100 employees, according to its annual report. In India, Nokia’s permanent employee base rose slightly to 17,708 in 2025 from 17,270 in 2024.
The base was much higher in 2023 at 18,200 employees. The layoffs are coming at a time when Nokia is struggling with its India performance. The company’s net sales dropping 15% year-on-year to Rs 4,324.96 crore in the fourth quarter of 2025. As per reports, Nokia’s earlier merger of Cloud and Network Services with Mobile Networks in 2023 has created overlapping roles, which could now be reduced.
