Online gaming in India is among the world’s most vibrant, says MoS I&B Dr L Murugan at Storyboard18 DES 2025

Opinion Trading platform is betting and gambling: MC Sarangan of TNOGA  at Storyboard18 DES 2025

Digital adex now accounts for over 55% of India’s M&E spend: MIB's Sanjay Jaju at Storyboard18 DES 2025

Game on! Gaming creators bets gaming being India’s next creative economy

Digital Entertainment Summit 2025 to debut in Delhi as India stakes its claim on the future of global media

Nobody’s Perfect Retro Porsche Ad

In Conversation With Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard

Shahid Kapoor And Varun Ganjoo Speaks On PokerBaazi's Campaign

In conversation with IHCL’s Puneet Chhatwal & GroupM’s Kate Scott-Dawkins

Why are brands including e-sports in their sports marketing itinerary?

Storyboard18 x The English Nut: How to pronounce these 10 brand names

Experts' Take On Reinvention Of Ad Campaigns Through Technology

Experts Speak On Key Emerging Trends In Cannes Lions Entries

Leaders of the future have to be outstanding human beings: Nestle MD

In conversation with VMLY&R’s Hari Ramanathan

TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, are preparing to lay off employees as the social media giant struggles to build a sustainable e-commerce business in the United States.

According to a report from Business Insider, TikTok has informed staff that it plans to announce “organizational and personnel changes,” with cuts expected to affect workers in TikTok Shop, the company’s e-commerce division. In a memo to employees, the company said the decision followed “careful analysis of how to create more efficient operating models for the team's long-term growth,” the report said.

The layoffs come as TikTok attempts to replicate its e-commerce success in Asia within the US market. Last month, Bloomberg reported that the company began replacing US-based staff with leaders from China, following its failure to hit a target of $17.5 billion in transaction volume for its American e-commerce business.

More than 100 employees at TikTok Shop in the United States have either been dismissed or have left the company in recent months, amid internal turmoil and confusion among managers that has made the workplace environment increasingly challenging, BI reported.

The shake-up arrives at a precarious moment for TikTok in the United States. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to ban the app over national security concerns, has for the third time this year delayed enforcement of a ban, signing an executive order that grants his administration an additional 90 days to negotiate a deal to bring TikTok under American ownership.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/big-tech-layoffs-microsoft-to-lay-off-9000-people-in-bid-to-rein-in-costs-amid-ai-push-72756.htm">Big Tech Layoffs: Microsoft to lay off 9,000 people in bid to rein in costs amid AI push</a>

Tech Layoffs: TikTok plans layoffs as US e-commerce efforts falter

Microsoft will cut about 9,000 jobs, its second major round of layoffs this year, as the technology giant moves to streamline operations and rein in costs while investing heavily in artificial intelligence. The reductions, which represent less than 4 percent of Microsoft’s global workforce, will affect employees across teams, regions and levels of seniority, according to reports. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/intel-layoffs-2025-chipmaker-to-shut-automotive-division-lay-off-most-employees-in-the-unit-72093.htm">Intel layoffs 2025: Chipmaker to shut automotive division, lay off most employees in the unit</a>

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/rose-and-redundancies-big-tech-big-ad-spend-and-the-cost-of-cannes-amid-mass-layoffs-70945.htm">Rosé and redundancies: Big tech, big ad spend, and the cost of Cannes amid mass layoffs</a>


Microsoft said the reductions would affect teams across its global operations, including its sales organization and Xbox gaming division.

“We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace,” the company said.

The layoffs, which follow the elimination of about 6,000 positions in May, come as Microsoft, like many of its peers, confronts the ballooning costs of competing in the AI arms race. The company has spent tens of billions of dollars on data centers and infrastructure to support its ambitions in artificial intelligence, even as it has pledged that it would remain disciplined on expenses.

As previously reported, the latest layoffs would target sales teams and divisions including Xbox. Microsoft had 228,000 employees at the end of June 2024, including 45,000 in sales and marketing roles. 

Amidst these layoffs, the company’s top sales executive, Judson Althoff, is set to begin a two-month sabbatical in July. Microsoft has said the leave was previously planned and that Althoff is expected to return in September.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/microsoft-to-lay-off-hundreds-in-xbox-division-amid-restructuring-push-71865.htm">Read more: Microsoft to lay off hundreds in Xbox division amid restructuring push</a>

Big Tech Layoffs: Microsoft to lay off 9,000 people in bid to rein in costs amid AI push

Former employees of The Good Glamm Group are still waiting for basic dues including salaries, gratuity, Form 16s, and experience letters. Some have even kept company assets like laptops as informal collateral. The company, once a poster child of India’s D2C boom, is now facing growing allegations of opacity and non-payment after multiple rounds of layoffs.

With appraisal season underway across corporate India, former employees of the Good Glamm Group are still chasing basic dues — not raises or bonuses. One former employee, from the customer service vertical at the company’s Mumbai office, shared that she hasn’t received her full January salary, full-and-final settlement, or gratuity. Despite repeated follow-ups, communication has dried up entirely. “We just get the same email every 10 days,” she said, adding that after the HR head exited, no one from the senior leadership has responded to laid-off staff. She’s also yet to receive Form 16, delaying her income tax filing.

Danica Dsouza who was executive assistant at Miss Malini, said she did receive her January salary and eventually got her relieving letter but only after repeated follow-ups. Her full-and-final settlement, however, remains unpaid. “The HR head was my only point of contact before he left, and since then, it’s just been the same copy-paste email everyone gets,” she said. While she wasn’t provided a company laptop due to the nature of her role, she confirmed that dues were repeatedly attributed to unnamed "lenders" without further explanation. Though she hasn’t faced tax-filing issues yet, the Form 16 is still pending. “Thankfully I’ve found another job, but many of my ex-colleagues are still struggling,” she added. Having spent only six months at the company, she is not eligible for gratuity.

Read More: <a href="http://BREAKING: Good Glamm Group sees silent layoffs amid financial woes and strategy missteps" rel="noopener" target="_blank">BREAKING: Good Glamm Group sees silent layoffs amid financial woes and strategy missteps</a>

While she has now secured another job, she said the experience left a bitter aftertaste. “We asked for experience letters and got them, so no trouble there. But there’s been complete silence otherwise. I even called to return the company laptop after my last day — they didn’t follow up on their own.” She also questioned the company’s continued narrative that delays are due to unnamed lenders.

Another Mumbai-based former employee who worked at the company for over five years said he is still awaiting his gratuity, two months of salary, and leave encashment. “Yes, I have secured a new job, but my hard-earned money is still stuck,” he said. “I gave my full commitment to MyGlamm for over 5 years. Neither the founder nor the management seems bothered to settle our dues.” 

While some former employees have managed to move on, others are still navigating instability. One ex-staffer based in the Delhi office said she is still in the thick of job interviews — without a Form 16 or her full dues. She received her last salary, but her full-and-final settlement and a few days’ salary are still pending. “I’m one of the lucky ones, I even got my gratuity — somehow,” she noted. 

She said this is the third major layoff and financial crisis she’s survived at the group — first at POPxo, which was acquired by MyGlamm during the pandemic, and twice after it became Good Glamm Group. “Appraisals didn’t happen for two years, and when they finally did, they were below inflation. It was enough to push people to leave.” She recalled the company’s founder mentioning during a townhall that laid-off staff would be supported in finding new jobs — but no such help ever came, she claims. 

Another former employee from the Delhi office said she hasn’t received her Form 16 or experience letter and has held on to her company laptop as collateral, with dues still pending. 

According to multiple current and former employees, the delays in clearing dues are being attributed internally to a lack of liquidity. 

The process, insiders say, is now being overseen not by the company’s leadership alone but by its venture debt lenders: Trifecta Capital, Alteria Capital, and Stride Ventures. These firms are reportedly leading all disbursement decisions and monitoring the situation closely.

Even current employees haven’t been paid in full. “They’ve been trying to release small amounts — around 25% of salaries — each week,” said a staffer. “It’s inconsistent. I’ve received a bit, but not all of it. The lenders are the ones taking those calls now.”

Storyboard18 has reached out to The Good Glamm Group for a response on the above. They declined to comment.

Read More: <a href="http://Good Glamm Group's laid-off employees' F&F not settled, staff salaries delayed, two offices shuttered" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Good Glamm Group's laid-off employees' F&F not settled, staff salaries delayed, two offices shuttered</a>

Appraisal season, but no salaries yet: Laid-off Good Glamm staff say dues unpaid, emails repetitive

A fresh wave of mass layoffs has hit the US-based companies in June and over 1 lakh job cuts have already taken place at the technology giants in the first half of 2025.

Semiconductor giant, Intel, has begun layoffs in California of 20% of its global workforce, that is around 10,000 of its workers in July. The anticipated job cuts may happen despite Intel receiving more than $2 billion in federal funding under President Biden's signature CHIPS Act.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has planned to terminate more employees from sales and marketing roles. The Redmond-based company, which said it was firing more than 6,000 employees in mid-May, later terminated another 305 Washington employees. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/microsoft-veteran-returns-to-office-after-layoff-worked-23-years-in-the-company-71905.htm">Microsoft veteran returns to office after layoff, worked 23 years in the company</a>

Media & Entertainment giant Walt Disney has also announced a spate of layoffs, with product and technology division staff affected this time. According to Adweek, the latest round of layoffs impacts under 2% of the group. Earlier this year, Disney cut nearly 200 roles at ABC News and its Entertainment Networks divisions.

This week, dating platform Bumble has joined the list of companies who have sacked hundreds of staff. Bumble is likely to cut 240 job roles, 30% of its workforce in the coming days. Rival Match also announced a 13% reduction last month.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/2025-tech-layoffs-microsoft-google-linkedin-among-companies-cutting-thousands-of-jobs-69203.htm">2025 tech layoffs: Microsoft, Google, LinkedIn among companies cutting thousands of jobs</a>

The companies have attributed the layoffs to streamlining their work operation, cost cutting, and increased adoption of Artificial Intelligence, among others.

Recently, Amazon.com Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andy Jassy also informed that the e-commerce firm will substantially shrink its workforce in the coming years as it adopts generative AI tools and AI agents.

“We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs,” Jassy wrote to Amazon employees in the memo.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/disney-hit-by-major-global-layoffs-across-tv-film-entertainment-corporate-finance-68454.htm">Disney hit by major global layoffs across TV & film entertainment, corporate finance</a>

Amazon's rival Walmart has also announced that it will lay off 381 employees across four locations in Silicon Valley. As per the San Francisco Chronicle report, the layoffs in Sunnyvale are scheduled to take effect on 22 August, which are part of broader restructuring efforts.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-signals-ai-led-workforce-realignment-70832.htm">Amazon CEO Andy Jassy signals AI-led workforce realignment</a>

Sports retailer Nike has also said it will be laying off some of its employees in its technology division. While the company has not specified how many employees will be laid off, the company will shift some of the work to third-party vendors.

Earlier this year, Google also downsized 200 workers from the Android, Pixel phones, and Chrome browser division, as well as, the department that handles partnership and sales.

From Intel to Bumble, mass layoffs continue in June, with over 10,000 jobs to go

Good Glamm Group has delayed employee salaries for the second consecutive month, citing ongoing financial struggles, according to reports. Despite earlier assurances that April and May salaries would be disbursed together in June, employees had not received payments as of June 3, creating uncertainty across the company.

The delay has also impacted former employees, with full and final settlements still pending. 

The company has reportedly been unable to secure new funding since January, with several anticipated investments falling through. In a bid to manage liquidity, Good Glamm has explored selling off portfolio brands — including discussions to return Organic Harvest to its original founders.

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/breaking-good-glamm-group-sees-silent-layoffs-amid-financial-woes-and-strategy-missteps-54345.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">BREAKING: Good Glamm Group sees silent layoffs amid financial woes and strategy missteps</a>

The financial strain has triggered a wave of exits, including that of former chief people officer Kartik Rao, who has since joined AI recruitment startup Vahan.ai. Freelancers, too, have raised red flags. Copywriter Babita Bharati posted on LinkedIn that she is yet to receive Rs 18,100 for work done with The Moms Co, blaming delays on pending investor funding.

As part of its restructuring, Good Glamm shut down its Vasant Kunj office earlier this year, briefly moved to Greater Kailash, and has since transitioned to a remote model. It is also in advanced talks to sell MissMalini Entertainment to Creativefuel, a marketing agency. Earlier, it sold Sirona back to its founders for Rs 150 crore — a steep markdown from its Rs 450 crore acquisition cost.

Investor confidence appears to have waned. Representatives from Accel, Prosus Ventures, and Bessemer Venture Partners resigned from the company’s board in January. While Good Glamm did raise $30 million in March to support working capital, a larger funding round remains elusive.

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/good-glamm-group-fails-to-pay-laid-off-employees-delays-current-staff-salaries-shuts-two-offices-64475.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Good Glamm Group's laid-off employees' F&F not settled, staff salaries delayed, two offices shuttered</a>

Good Glamm delays salaries for second month amid financial struggles

A former SpaceX employee has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the Elon Musk-led aerospace firm, claiming he was fired for needing frequent access to the toilet due to Crohn’s disease—a chronic gastrointestinal condition.

Douglas Altshuler, 58, alleges that supervisors at SpaceX's Redmond, Washington facility subjected him to demeaning treatment, including timing his bathroom visits and threatening him with termination if he exceeded a strict 10-minute limit. According to The Independent, Altshuler sometimes required up to 14 toilet breaks during his eight-hour shifts due to his condition.

Altshuler joined SpaceX in June 2023 as a customer support representative for Starlink, the company’s satellite internet division. While his initial months passed without incident, he claims workplace hostility began in early 2024 when management began monitoring his restroom usage and issuing formal reprimands. In response, he submitted a doctor’s note requesting reasonable workplace accommodations.

Although some supervisors initially assured him his bathroom use would not be restricted or tracked, Altshuler’s complaint paints a different picture—one of escalating retaliation and surveillance. He alleges he was monitored via electronic timekeeping systems, denied proper meal breaks, and subjected to invasive oversight, including recorded calls and withheld overtime pay.

The lawsuit also raises broader concerns about SpaceX's workplace culture. Altshuler claims rocket parts were being dried in ovens used by employees for meals, and that staff who took time off for workplace injuries were met with reprisal. He further alleges he was dismissed shortly after reporting chemical exposure to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Altshuler says he received a “threatening and argumentative” performance review shortly before being fired in January 2024. He is now seeking compensation and damages, the amount of which will be determined by a jury.

The case brings renewed scrutiny to working conditions at SpaceX. In 2023, a Reuters investigation revealed over 600 unreported workplace injuries at the company in under a decade—including amputations, crushed limbs, and one death.

Elon Musk, known for endorsing extreme work habits, has previously said that SpaceX’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team was working 120-hour weeks. In 2023, he also called remote work “morally wrong.”

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/foreign-secretary-vikram-misri-daughters-targeted-in-online-attacks-65446.htm">Read More: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, daughters targeted in online attacks</a>

Elon Musk’s SpaceX sued over firing employee with Crohn’s Disease due to 'timed' bathroom breaks, termination threats

Video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) has cancelled another game in the Titanfall universe and laid off more employees, as part of a wider wave of job cuts in the gaming industry.

The cancelled project, known internally as “R7,” was reportedly an extraction-style shooter set in the Titanfall world, which blends fast-paced combat with parkour and giant mechs. Although EA’s Respawn studio did not name the game directly, it confirmed that two early-stage projects were being shut down.

This is not the first time a Titanfall title has been scrapped. Fans of the franchise have been waiting for a full sequel since Titanfall 2 released in 2016, but EA has continued to prioritise other more commercially successful properties.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/waves-2025-set-to-become-the-worlds-largest-entertainment-and-media-convergence-in-mumbai-63677.htm">Read More: WAVES 2025 set to become the world’s largest entertainment and media convergence</a>

The studio said it will now focus on established franchises like Apex Legends and the Star Wars Jedi series. Earlier this month, EA announced Star Wars: Zero Company, a new tactical game, further signalling its commitment to proven IPs.

These changes come during a tough time for the company. EA cut over 1,100 jobs in 2023 and laid off an additional 5% of its workforce in 2024. “These decisions aren’t easy,” Respawn said, thanking team members who were let go and recognising their contributions to the studio’s growth.

The gaming industry as a whole is also feeling the pressure. Rising development costs and changing market trends have led many studios to downsize teams and cancel projects in an effort to stay financially stable.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/apple-xiaomi-drawn-into-indias-e-commerce-probe-into-amazon-flipkart-report-63782.htm">Read More: Apple, Xiaomi drawn into India’s e-commerce probe into Amazon, Flipkart: Report</a>

EA cancels Titanfall game again, lays off more staff as industry cuts grow

The latest controversy around the layoffs at Infosys is not the first time, the tech giant has faced several backlashes in the past, including delays in hiring and working hours.

Last year Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy faced criticism on social media for advocating a 70-hour workweek. The business tycoon expressed disappointment over India’s shift from a six-day to a five-day workweek, which occurred in 1986. “I don’t believe in work-life balance,” Murthy said.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/decoding-narayana-murthy-a-look-at-his-most-controversial-statements-41855.htm">Decoding Narayana Murthy: A look at his most controversial statements</a>

During the CNBC-TV18 Global Leadership Summit, Murthy said that hard work and dedication are crucial for India’s economic growth. He added that Indians should work 70 hours a week to contribute to the nation’s progress.

Further, Infosys was embroiled in another controversy regarding the delay in onboarding freshers. 

Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), an NGO that works for the welfare of IT and ITES organizations, filed a request with the Ministry of labour & employment to investigate Infosys’ repeated delays in onboarding over 2,000 campus recruits in June 2024.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/infosys-debunks-layoff-claims-says-have-rigorous-hiring-process-56030.htm">Infosys debunks layoff claims, says 'have rigorous hiring process'</a>

The software company issued offer letters to 2,000 campus recruits in September after a wait of two years. At that time, Infosys said the delay was due to the training session that candidates underwent for two years.

Infosys has a rigorous hiring process in which freshers get three attempts to clear the assessment. If the recruits fail the assessment, their contracts are terminated.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/infosys-debunks-layoff-claims-says-have-rigorous-hiring-process-56030.htm">Infosys denies mass layoffs reports, says it has a 'rigorous hiring process'</a>

In the latest case, the company axed 300 trainees after they failed to clear the internal assessments. Infosys laid off just over 300 recruits who underwent training at its Mysuru campus for two years.

In the fiscal year 2024, Infosys' headcount decreased by 25,994, with the total workforce standing at 317,240, representing a 7.5 percent annual decline. In FY 2024, the company hired approximately 11,900 college graduates, and attrition decreased to 12.6 percent.

In Q1 FY 2025, the company announced that it was planning to hire 15,000 to 20,000 freshers in 2024. The company's employee count declined by 2000 on a quarterly basis. In Q2, the company added 2,456 employees and reaffirmed its plan to onboard more than 15,000 freshers in FY25.

A look at Infosys' controversies on hiring, work culture

Infosys has strongly denied allegations that it laid off 700 employees who were undergoing training at its Mysuru campus, offering a rebuttal to claims that have circulated in recently.

In a statement, the company clarified that the actual number of employees let go of 300 people, all of whom were trainees who had failed to pass the company’s internal assessments.

Additionally, Infosys refuted reports suggesting that bouncers or security personnel were involved in the termination process, describing such claims as unsubstantiated. The company emphasized that the dismissals were a result of standard procedure following unsuccessful performance in the required evaluations.

“At Infosys, we have a rigorous hiring process where all freshers, after undergoing extensive foundational training at our Mysuru campus, are expected to clear internal assessments. All freshers get three attempts to clear the assessment, failing which they will not be able to continue with the organization, as is also mentioned in their contract. This process has been in existence for over two decades and ensures a high quality of talent availability for our clients," Infosys said.

Infosys mentioned that the company added 5,591 employees in the third quarter FY25.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/infosys-under-fire-for-mass-layoffs-nites-plans-complaint-to-labour-ministry-report-56017.htm">Infosys under fire for mass layoffs; NITES plans complaint to labour ministry: Report</a>

According to Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), an NGO that works for the welfare of IT and ITES organizations, has mentioned previously that silent layoffs have become a common practice among many tech firms.

In 2024 alone, about 2,000-3,000 professionals lost their jobs among the top IT services firms, NITES claimed.

This time, NITES has claimed that Infosys laid off nearly 700 employees who joined the company in October 2024. The NGO said that the company deployed security personnel, and bouncers to intimidate the trainees.

Infosys denies mass layoffs reports, says it has a 'rigorous hiring process'

Software giant Infosys has reportedly laid off 700 freshers who joined the company in October 2024, according to a report by The Economic Times.

Citing the statement of the NGO Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), the English daily said that a formal complaint will be filed with the Labour Ministry on this matter.

Storyboard18 could not independently verify the news.

NITES President Harpreet Singh Saluja said that Infosys forcefully fired around 700 campus recruits this week.

However, Infosys has refuted the allegations, saying that the compnay has a rigorous hiring process where all freshers undergo for the foundational training at its Mysuru campus to clear internal assessments. The IT company said the information on assessment has been mentioned in the contract and has existed for over two decades. 

"All freshers get three attempts to clear the assessment, failing which they will not be able to continue with the organization, as is also mentioned in their contract. This process has been in existence for over two decades and ensures a high quality of talent availability for our clients," Infosys told Storyboard18

However, the affected employees claimed that the assessment criteria and syllabus were modified during the process.

Further, the ET report mentioned that the affected employees are from the 2022 engineering batch who went for the training at the Mysuru campus. The recruits waited for two years before being onboarded in October 2023 with annual packages of Rs 3.2- Rs 3.7 lakh for system engineer roles. 

NITES alleged that Infosys deployed bouncers, and security personnel to intimidate employees. The NGO argued that such actions violate the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, and called for immediate action to protect IT workers' rights.

LAYOFFS