AI-Driven Tech Job Cuts By Global Giants, Including Accenture & TCS, Trigger Anxiety In Pune's IT Hubs Of Hinjawadi & Kharadi

Pune: A wave of layoffs, job cuts, and workforce reshuffles across big global technological companies has rippled into Pune's IT sector and sparked anxiety among professionals. According to experts, many of these layoffs are driven by the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automation.

Pune is home to key multinational and India-based IT firms with IT hubs at Hinjawadi, Kharadi, Magarpatta, and other areas. Industry trackers and company disclosures tell us that lakhs of professionals have been trimmed in 2025. People have been expressing fear of AI eating up their jobs for years now, but in 2025, it is becoming a reality.

Recent Layoffs by Big Tech
- Accenture has terminated over 11,000 roles, as announced in September 2025. These terminations focused on workers who could not be retrained for AI-related positions. Over 10,000 people were trimmed in the February–May 2025 period too.

- An estimated staff of 12,000 people have been laid off by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in the past few months, according to reports.

- Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, Meta, Amazon: Layoff announcements and major workforce reductions occurred between February and September 2025, with cuts expected to continue in the coming months.

- According to reports, in 2025, over 89,000 tech jobs have been cut across 204 companies globally.

Why is AI Being Linked to These Cuts?

Companies say AI and automation let them deliver services more efficiently; that’s why additional employees are not needed. Citing examples of automating repetitive testing, code generation, content moderation, and first-line customer support, they have justified these layoffs. This has changed the mix of necessary skills. Routine delivery and testing roles have shrunk. Industry observers say that while AI creates new higher-value jobs, the timing is uneven, and many mid-career and operational roles face immediate risk.

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Market analysts and HR strategists argue the structural change is authentic. Companies are reshaping delivery models to embed AI. They claim that the immediate effects depend on how quickly employers invest in internal reskilling and how effectively governments and industry bodies scale training. Failure to manage the transition risks long spells of unemployment for workers whose skills no longer match client demands.

A senior manager working in a Hinjawadi-based company requesting anonymity said, "People should prove to the company they are valuable. Just rote work and completing the bare minimum won’t guarantee you stability anymore. AI has proven capable of replacing some jobs for years now. People who have been laid off across the world were slow to adapt and upskill themselves. Not the companies’ concern; they are not here for social work. They are here for making profit. Show your company how you can make profit."

How is Pune Reacting to This?

Employee unions Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) and another IT professionals’ group, Forum of IT Employees (FITE), have reacted strongly to it.

Adv. Harpreet Singh Saluja, President of NITES, told The Free Press Journal, "It is deeply disturbing to see these layoffs. IT companies like TCS, Accenture, and several others are resorting to sudden, off-the-record layoffs in places like Hinjawadi and Kharadi. These employees have given the best years of their lives to these organisations. They have sacrificed their health, family time, and personal lives to meet unrealistic deadlines and business demands. And when the time comes for companies to stand with their workforce in difficult times, they are instead shown the door overnight."

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Saluja further said, "NITES strongly opposes these exploitative practices. We will continue to raise our voices against these injustices. We demand IT firms act with responsibility and compassion."

FITE had posted on X (formerly Twitter) saying, "First TCS, then Trump’s H1B setback, and now Accenture layoffs of 11k. Where will the IT sector head in the near term? Is it AI which is cutting jobs, or is it the profit of shareholders which is resulting in layoffs?" FITE has claimed that they will group against these companies and start a movement soon.

Employees Express Panic

The Free Press Journal spoke to some of the employees working in the IT hubs of Kharadi, Hinjawadi, and other areas in Pune. All of them requested that not all their details be published.

Parth, an employee working in a Kharadi-based company, said, "Recently my company has let off many people too. The majority of these people are near retirement or mid-senior. They are keeping young people, as they think they are valuable. However, we are not told or given any idea. I fear I might lose my job tomorrow, and how will I get a new one without any preparation?"

Vaibhav, from a Hinjawadi-based IT company, said, "AI cannot replace human intelligence. But companies are not thinking deeply. I don’t know what to do. It’s like living in a dictatorship. I have two kids going to school, and I have to take care of my parents. If I lose my job tomorrow, how will I take care of them?"

Imtiyaz, a programmer, said, "Learn how to use AI to its best. Adapt to it. People thought the same things would happen when computers came. We will find other work. Adapt to changing situations. No matter your age, try your best. I don’t think if you adapt and upskill yourself regularly, you have anything to fear. Be calm and just understand the changing dynamics."

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Shravani, a market research analyst working in Balewadi, said, "Market research is such an extensive job; I don’t think AI can replace my profile. However, companies are undercutting and increasing workloads on other employees. My own company has removed some senior employees, and their workload is now on us. They haven’t even increased our salaries. But I don’t have any option other than to take it."

Divyansh Tripathi, an engineering student, said, "I took computer science by the guidance of my parents and mentors, saying I will have a bright career. I’m in the second year of my studies. However, reading these updates about company layoffs and all, I don’t know how I will compete in this world. I don’t know what to do."

What is the Future?

Pune’s IT ecosystem is at an inflection point. AI adoption is reshaping demand for skills fast. It is creating higher-value opportunities while making many routine roles redundant. The private sector's immediate challenge will be cushioning the social and economic impact of this transition. It will be done through fast, accessible upskilling and clearer redeployment pathways. Employees hope for stability in the coming future, or it will hamper their mental health. But to be secure about themselves, experts ask employees to adapt and upskill.