Adidas has confirmed it is reducing a number of roles in its technology organisation in India as part of a wider effort to align its operating model with business needs, while media reports say nearly half the workforce at the company’s Gurugram tech hub has been affected.
Company statement and reported scale
The company acknowledged making a "difficult decision" to cut roles in its technology team, saying it is grateful for employees’ contributions and will provide transition assistance. Adidas did not disclose the exact number of people impacted in its statement.
"We are deeply grateful to our colleagues for their many contributions to Adidas. We are committed to supporting our impacted colleagues with transition assistance during this time."
Independent reporting cited to the same town-hall communication put the number of employees affected at around 350 out of an estimated 700 staff at the Gurugram hub — about 45–50% of that centre’s workforce. Adidas has not officially verified these specific figures, and its public statement withheld precise counts.
Roles and process
According to the report, the reductions include software engineers, data scientists and data engineers. Employees were informed during a town-hall held on September 15. The process reportedly split impacted staff into two groups: some received exit letters immediately, while others have been asked to remain until December to complete handovers and to pursue alternative roles within Adidas.
- Immediate exits: A group received termination letters on the day of the town-hall, the report says.
- Extended notice: Another group will continue through December to support handovers and internal mobility efforts.
- Support offered: Adidas said it will provide transition assistance, but details of the package were not disclosed.
Why this matters for India’s tech ecosystem
India has become a sizable technology and digital hub for multinational corporations, hosting engineering, data and back-office functions. A reduction on the scale reported at Adidas’ Gurugram centre highlights two trends affecting the corporate technology sector:
- Consolidation and cost realignment as global firms seek operational efficiency amid changing consumer demand, and
- Rebalancing of tech roles — companies are tightening headcounts in certain functions while aiming to strengthen strategic capabilities.
For affected employees — particularly specialists such as data scientists and software engineers — the immediate concern will be finding new roles in a competitive market. The phased approach reported, with some staff retained to ensure handovers, may ease transition but does not remove uncertainty for those whose roles are being eliminated.
Broader corporate restructuring
The layoffs at the Gurugram hub are consistent with global restructuring moves by several multinational companies that have re-evaluated their technology footprints, seeking to simplify operations and reduce costs. Adidas’ headquarters is in Herzogenaurach, Germany, and the company sells footwear, apparel and sporting goods globally. The firm said the changes are intended to "simplify parts of the organisation, strengthen critical capabilities and position Adidas for long-term success as the business and technology environment evolves," according to the report.
| Metric | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Estimated staff at Gurugram tech hub | ~700 |
| Reported affected employees | ~350 (reported) |
| Approximate share affected | 45–50% (reported) |
Adidas did not detail whether further reductions are planned in India or in other technology centres, nor did it specify which teams will be prioritised going forward. The company’s public messaging emphasised support for impacted colleagues but stopped short of outlining severance or re-employment assistance specifics.
For India’s technology talent market, such large-scale adjustments by multinationals can create short-term hiring pressure as displaced professionals enter the job market, while also signalling ongoing shifts in how global companies structure their technology and data operations. Employers and employees alike will be watching for clarity on severance terms, internal redeployment options and the company’s plans for its remaining India workforce.
