Amazon layoffs 2026: Fresh job cuts hit India as festive sale begins

Amazon has begun another round of job cuts, with employees in India, the US and the UK affected by the latest workforce reduction. The layoffs come as the e-commerce giant’s Great Indian Festival sale gets underway in India.

According to a Business Insider report, fewer than 1,000 white-collar employees have been affected globally. Amazon has confirmed the reduction, describing it as involving a "small number" of roles.

Which Amazon teams have been affected?

The latest cuts are spread across several functions, with parts of Amazon’s Stores business bearing the impact. The division oversees the company’s main e-commerce operations.

Reports indicate that teams dealing with customer service, selling partner services and marketplace support have been affected. Some engineering positions linked to Amazon’s retail operations have also been impacted.

Employees reportedly began discussing the layoffs through internal communication channels, including Slack, as the latest round unfolded.

Layoffs follow major Amazon restructuring

The latest job cuts come months after Amazon carried out a much larger restructuring. The company eliminated around 30,000 corporate positions between late 2025 and January 2026 as part of efforts to lower costs and simplify its organisational structure.

While the latest reduction is considerably smaller, it comes as Amazon continues to reshape its workforce and allocate resources across different areas of its business.

The company is simultaneously stepping up its investments in artificial intelligence. Amazon is preparing to spend about $220 billion on AI-related infrastructure, including data centres and chips.

Amazon continues to invest in India

The layoffs do not signal an exit from the Indian market. Amazon has continued to expand its operations in the country.

In March, the company opened a new Bengaluru campus, described as its second-largest office in Asia. The 1.1-million-square-foot facility is expected to support more than 7,000 employees working across e-commerce, payments, technology and seller services.

Great Indian Festival sale offers

Amazon’s Great Indian Festival 2026 sale began at 12 am on October 8 for all customers. The company is offering discounts of up to 65 per cent on home appliances, including televisions, refrigerators and washing machines.

Customers using SBI debit and credit cards can get a 10 per cent instant discount, including on credit card EMI transactions. Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card users can get unlimited 5 per cent cashback, while Prime members can receive an additional Rs 250 cashback on select devices.

Amazon is also offering 10 per cent cashback on Amazon Pay Later EMI transactions.