Adidas, the German sportswear company, operates a global network of headquarters, regional hubs, and technology and business-service locations supporting its products, digital operations, and corporate functions. Its global footprint includes key locations such as Herzogenaurach in Germany, Portland in the US, Shanghai, Dubai, Tokyo and Seoul. The company also operates dedicated hubs in India, including an engineering technology hub in Gurugram and a Global Business Services (GBS) centre in Chennai.
India’s Technology Footprint
India has become an important part of adidas’ global technology and business-services network. The company’s Gurugram location is an Engineering Tech Hub, where adidas says teams work on digital experiences, e-commerce and technology supporting its global business. The company says its Indian engineering hubs help it stay close to technology talent and digital innovation.
Chennai, meanwhile, houses adidas Global Business Services India, which supports global operations across HR services, procurement, finance, innovation and operational excellence. The company’s careers site describes the Chennai centre as a strategic engine supporting adidas globally.
Job Cuts at the Gurugram Tech Hub
Adidas confirmed on September 16 that it had reduced roles within its Technology organization in India as part of an effort to align its operating model with changing business needs.
Reports based on people familiar with the matter initially put the impact at around 300 to 350 employees at the Gurugram hub, whose workforce was reported to be around 700. The affected roles reportedly include software engineers, data scientists, and data engineers. Employees were informed during a town hall on September 15, with some receiving exit letters and another group reportedly being asked to remain until December 15 to complete handovers.
However, the scale remains disputed. In a statement to Reuters, adidas said the impact was less than 20% of its India Technology organization and did not provide an exact number. Reuters noted that adidas’ website lists nearly 650 employees across its Gurugram and Chennai technology hubs, which would put the confirmed impact below 130 roles if that figure is used as the relevant workforce base.
The company said the changes are intended to simplify parts of the organization, strengthen critical capabilities and position adidas for long-term growth. It also said India remains strategically important and that its Technology Hub continues to support growth, innovation and digital transformation.
A Broader Pattern
The adidas restructuring comes shortly after other global companies made workforce changes affecting their India capability operations. PayPal recently confirmed that around 220 employees in India were affected as part of its wider global restructuring, while US retailer Hy-Vee shut down its India engineering centre, with around 150 employees reportedly affected.
For India’s GCC and global technology ecosystem, the adidas case highlights how established capability centres can remain strategically important even while companies reassess their technology organizations, roles and operating models.
Source: Wocult News, “Adidas cuts nearly half its India Tech Hub workforce in Gurugram, sources say.”
