Uber is cutting 25 per cent of its workforce in India as the US ride-hailing group grapples with severe strain from the coronavirus crisis in its biggest market in Asia.
The move to jettison the 600 jobs is part of a global restructuring in response to the health crisis that involves the closure of 45 offices and a total of 6,700 jobs being cut.
It comes as the technology company rethinks its position in Asia more broadly. Uber has been hard hit by India’s harsh coronavirus lockdown, during which all public transportation including taxis and private car-hailing services were suspended for weeks.
“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,” said Pradeep Parameswaran, president of Uber India and South Asia, in a statement.
The cuts, which make up 20 per cent of the second tranche of 3,000 job losses outlined by chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi last week, mark a further retreat in India after the sale of Uber Eats to local rival Zomato in January.