Visa has announced the elimination of 2,600 positions worldwide, representing approximately 7% of its global workforce, as part of a strategic pivot toward artificial intelligence. The layoffs, which began on July 29, primarily affect technology and product teams, with India—home to over 3,500 Visa employees across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad—experiencing significant cuts.
Employees in India reported receiving sudden layoff emails between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m., with one team losing 10 of its 28 members. Senior staff and managers were not spared. The company has not disclosed the exact number of Indian employees affected in this round, but the move underscores a broader trend of multinational corporations reallocating resources from traditional tech roles to AI-driven initiatives.
CEO Ryan McInerney has emphasized the role of agentic AI systems that can perform tasks with minimal human intervention, signaling a shift in how Visa’s technology teams will operate. The company aims to reduce costs and redirect investments toward higher-growth areas, with AI at the center of its strategy.
Former Visa employee Arnab Das shared his experience on X, stating, “My entire team at Visa just got laid off, including my manager.” He noted that his former manager had strong performance reviews and had owned a product from start to finish. The incident highlights growing anxiety among tech workers about AI’s impact on job security.
The Visa India layoffs add to mounting concerns in the country’s technology sector, where companies like Oracle, Volkswagen, and others have also trimmed staff while increasing AI investments. The trend suggests that technology workers may need to acquire new skills as organizations reshape their workforces around automation and machine learning.