Cab aggregator Uber on May 26 said it would lay off about 25% of its employees in India due to the negative impact of COVID-19 on the business.
The company employs about 2,400 people in the country.
The move comes close to the heels of the other major cab aggregator, Ola, letting go about 1,400 employees. Other technology led firms, such as Zomota, Swiggy and ShareChat have also announced layoffs and salary cuts due to the pandemic.
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“The impact of COVID-19 and the unpredictable nature of the recovery has left Uber India SA with no choice but to reduce the size of its workforce… These reductions are part of previously announced global job cuts this month”, Pradeep Parameswaran, president, Uber India and South Asia said in a statement.
Around 600 full-time positions across driver and rider support, as well as other functions, would be impacted, he added.
Earlier this month, the U.S.-headquartered company announced a reduction of its customer support and recruiting teams by approximately 3,700 full-time employee roles “due to lower trip volumes and our current hiring freeze”.
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“Today is an incredibly sad day for colleagues leaving the Uber family and all of us at the company. We made the decision now so we can look to the future with confidence. I want to apologize to departing colleagues, and extend my heartfelt thanks to them for their contributions to Uber and the riders and driver partners we serve in India,” Mr. Parameswaran said.
Uber India said each affected employee would receive a minimum 10 weeks payout, medical insurance coverage for the next six months, outplacement support, be allowed to retain their laptops and given the option to join the Uber talent directory.