National Telecom Policy 2025 Targets Face Layoffs Cloud
India’s Telecom Policy 2025 targets ₹1 trillion investment and 10 lakh jobs by 2030, but global tech layoffs cast a shadow.
By SANJAY SINGH
New Delhi, October 4, 2025 — The draft National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2025, released recently, aims to double annual investment in the telecom sector to ₹1 trillion and boost startups twofold while creating 10 lakh new jobs by 2030. However, a growing number of job cuts and layoffs across the tech and telecom industries—expected to remain negative for the next few years amid global political and economic turmoil—could spoil these ambitions.
The draft NTP proposes doubling the telecom sector’s contribution to India’s gross domestic product (GDP) within the next five years. Alongside generating one million new jobs, an equal number of people are expected to be re-skilled or up-skilled to meet future industry demand. The draft policy, released Thursday, has invited stakeholder feedback within 21 days.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) recently laid off about 12,000 employees, or 2 percent of its workforce. Oracle, too, has reportedly cut nearly 10 percent of its Indian staff, following U.S. anti-offshoring guidelines.
Several global tech majors—including Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta—have also announced thousands of job cuts this year, as companies adjust to the costs of building AI infrastructure. Interestingly, even as firms like Oracle slash jobs, they continue hiring in areas linked to AI and cloud computing.
To promote homegrown telecom equipment manufacturing and create employment opportunities, the NTP 2025 proposes setting up telecom manufacturing zones with integrated infrastructure for network equipment design and production. The policy seeks to build an end-to-end domestic supply chain for telecom and networking products.
For research and talent development, the draft recommends establishing a network of 30 advanced research laboratories across leading academic institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), to develop an industry-ready workforce and drive cutting-edge innovation.
Additionally, to strengthen cybersecurity and protect India’s telecom infrastructure against emerging threats, the policy calls for developing networks secure against both quantum and classical computing threats, while ensuring interoperability with existing communication systems.
(This is an opinion piece, and views expressed are those of the author only)
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