Tech giant Google is learnt to have sacked 453 employees from various departments in India late at night on Thursday, sources in the know said.
Sources told businessline that a mail was sent out by Sanjay Gupta, Country Head and Vice President, Google India to the affected employees. Email sent with queries seeking comments from Google India did not elicit any reply.
Read also: Hundreds of Google staff in Zurich stage walkout over job cuts
Last month, Alphabet Inc, the parent company of Google, announced the sack of 12,000 employees or 6 per cent of its total headcount globally.
Sundar Pichai, Chief Executive Officer of the company, had also mailed the employees stating that he takes “full responsibility for the decisions that led us here.”
Read more: Google parent Alphabet to lay off 12,000 workers globally
“We’ve already sent a separate email to employees in the US who are affected. In other countries, this process will take longer due to local laws and practices,” he had said.
Pichai also said the company had undertaken a “rigorous review across product areas and functions” to ensure that people and roles are aligned with the company’s highest priorities.
“The roles we’re eliminating reflect the outcome of that review. They cut across Alphabet, product areas, functions, levels and regions,” he wrote in the mail.
Also read: Doing everything to help affected staff: Google India
Earlier in January, Microsoft announced 10,000 job cuts or nearly 5 per cent of its workforce. Amazon also is cutting 18,000 jobs. Facebook’s parent Meta also said it is trimming 11,000 positions across the world.
Neal Mohan to head YouTube
Meanwhile, YouTube CEO, Susan Wojcicki said that she is stepping down and Chief Product Officer, Neal Mohan will take the lead as the Senior Vice President and new Head of YouTube.
Also read: Neal Mohan to be new CEO of YouTube after Susan Wojcicki steps down
Wojcicki joined Google’s video-sharing and social media platform as the CEO in 2014.
“Today, after nearly 25 years here, I’ve decided to step back from my role as the head of YouTube and start a new chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects I’m passionate about,” she said.
Reports quoted her saying she will continue working with YouTube teams, coaching members and meeting with creators.