A senior software leader at Oracle has spoken about the emotional toll of recent layoffs, offering a personal glimpse into the wider wave of job cuts at the technology giant. Hrishikesha Narsha, a former Group Manager in software development, shared in a LinkedIn post that his 16-year journey with the company came to an abrupt end during the latest round of layoffs. His message reflects the uncertainty many professionals are facing as companies continue to restructure operations.
Narsha described the sudden shift in routine, noting how it felt "strange" to wake up without the familiar demands of work. He said his mind still instinctively plans tasks for projects he no longer owns, highlighting the psychological impact of job loss.
Oracle has made significant job cuts across markets, with global layoffs expected to touch 30,000 employees, while India has already seen thousands of roles eliminated, according to employee accounts and media reports.
In India, around 12,000 employees are believed to have been laid off, with another round of job cuts likely within weeks, two impacted employees told Press Trust of India.
The job cuts come as Oracle deepens its investment in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure.
Executives have said that AI tools are enabling smaller teams to deliver more output, reducing the need for large engineering groups. “The use of AI coding tools inside Oracle is enabling smaller engineering teams to deliver more complete solutions… more quickly,” co-chief executive Mike Sicilia said earlier this month.
The company plans to invest at least $50 billion in infrastructure this year and has raised an additional $50 billion in debt to meet growing demand, according to BBC reporting.
Oracle is also part of the $500 billion Stargate initiative, alongside OpenAI, SoftBank and MGX, aimed at building data centre capacity to support future AI workloads.
India appears to be among the most affected regions in the latest round of layoffs.
Employees told PTI that a significant share of the cuts has been concentrated in India, with internal discussions pointing to another round of layoffs within a month.
An affected employee said that Indian workers in overseas roles may also be impacted, partly due to regulatory and workforce protection norms in other countries.
The severance package in India includes 15 days’ salary for each year of service, notice pay, leave encashment, gratuity where applicable, and an additional two-month salary top-up, though this is contingent on voluntary resignation.
