There is no verified report of a U.S. company firing exactly 200 Indian employees without evidence. However, there have been several notable incidents involving mass layoffs of Indian employees by US-based companies under various circumstances:

1. Apple’s Termination of 185 Employees (Including Indians) Over Alleged Charity Fraud

In early 2025, Apple made headlines by terminating around 185 employees globally, reportedly including several of Indian origin. This action followed an internal investigation into alleged abuse of Apple’s Matching Gifts Program — a charitable initiative where the company matches employee donations to approved non-profits.

The allegations centered around employees who were said to have collaborated with specific NGOs to fabricate donation records, making it appear that they had donated more than they actually did. As a result, Apple unknowingly paid matching contributions on fictitious donations. These false claims not only violated internal ethical codes but also raised concerns of financial misconduct.

Reports claimed that some employees treated this program as a means to inflate their total compensation, possibly in agreement with the beneficiary NGOs. The investigation revealed patterns where donations were disproportionately concentrated with a few lesser-known NGOs — triggering red flags.

While no official list of terminated individuals was published, media outlets reported that Indians were among those impacted. However, it is essential to note that Apple maintained discretion and did not comment on individuals' identities.

The company’s internal ethics committee allegedly found clear documentation, digital trails, and witness testimonies that supported its decision. While six people reportedly faced legal action, no confirmed Indian employees were in that subset.

This case highlights a serious issue in multinational organizations — the potential for internal programs to be misused for personal gain, even by trusted employees. Apple’s strong stance may also reflect a broader corporate trend of zero tolerance for fraud, even in welfare or humanitarian domains.

2. Cogito Layoffs in Noida Without Notice

In April 2023, employees of Cogito, a U.S.-based data annotation and AI services startup with an office in Noida, India, were stunned when nearly 200 employees were reportedly fired overnight. What made the situation more alarming was that the layoffs were allegedly executed without any prior notice or severance communication, prompting an immediate protest at the company’s Noida premises.

Cogito, which heavily relies on data labeling for AI and machine learning projects, cited a lack of ongoing projects as the primary reason. Affected employees, many of whom had joined only months earlier, claimed they were asked to leave abruptly and not given official letters or exit documentation.

Videos and social media posts from the scene showed a chaotic atmosphere, with security and even local police deployed as tempers flared. Employees expressed their anger at being denied fair treatment and job security, especially in an industry known for long work hours and modest pay.

The incident raised larger questions about the rights of tech workers in India’s startup ecosystem. Since employment contracts in startups can be vague, especially for non-permanent staff, many affected employees found themselves with limited legal recourse.

Cogito issued a brief statement later, reiterating that the move was part of a business restructuring exercise, but it failed to convince most observers. The suddenness and scale of the terminations brought scrutiny to the startup’s project pipeline, financial stability, and HR practices.

This event served as a wake-up call for thousands working in India’s startup scene, revealing how fragile employment can be even when working for internationally funded companies.

3. FIS Layoffs in Pune: Alleged Illegal Terminations

In late 2022, U.S.-based fintech company FIS (Fidelity National Information Services) came under fire after it reportedly terminated around 400 Indian employees from its Pune operations. The abrupt layoffs triggered outrage, especially from the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), a labor union advocating for IT workers’ rights.

The company cited internal restructuring and role redundancies as reasons for the terminations.

However, the process allegedly lacked transparency and failed to follow due legal procedures. Employees reported being called for meetings and then asked to resign or face termination without further support.

NITES intervened and filed a complaint with the Maharashtra Labour Commissioner, arguing that the company’s actions violated the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. Under Indian labor law, mass layoffs in companies above a certain size typically require prior government approval and employee consultation — steps FIS was accused of skipping.

What made the situation more controversial was the timing — FIS had previously expanded its India operations and continued to hire in other departments, which raised suspicions about the real motive behind the mass layoffs. Many employees felt betrayed after years of service, citing no prior warning or performance-related issues.

FIS maintained that the move was business-driven and aligned with global workforce adjustments. Still, the incident opened up discussions about how multinational companies treat their Indian workforce, especially in shared services or offshore roles that are often considered cost centers.

This case highlighted the need for stronger labor protections in India’s IT sector and better union representation to safeguard employees from arbitrary downsizing.

4. Cognizant’s Involuntary Attrition Linked to Fake Resumes

In a separate but equally concerning development, Cognizant, a major U.S.-based IT services firm with a large Indian workforce, revealed that around 6% of its quarterly attrition was involuntary, driven by background verification failures. Thousands of Indian employees were reportedly affected due to fake experience letters or discrepancies in their resumes.

According to internal audits and background check agencies, many of these employees had submitted forged documents or inflated work histories, often to meet strict hiring requirements or to receive higher salaries. Cognizant claimed that these violations were uncovered through enhanced screening processes, possibly in response to broader scrutiny in the IT sector.

The company defended the terminations, citing a zero-tolerance policy for document fraud and maintaining that such actions were necessary to uphold corporate integrity and client trust. However, critics argued that pressure to meet aggressive hiring targets may have contributed to lax initial screening, shifting the blame unfairly onto employees.

Some employees claimed they were unaware of discrepancies due to third-party recruitment agencies or training institutes that promised job placements with fabricated resumes. This raised questions about the underground market for fake credentials in India’s competitive job environment.

The case highlighted a darker side of India’s booming tech sector — where the race for jobs sometimes pushes candidates into unethical paths, and companies react with mass terminations when the truth surfaces. It also sparked a debate on corporate accountability, employee education, and better hiring safeguards.

Conclusion

The mass terminations involving Indian employees by U.S.-based companies such as Apple, Cogito, FIS, and Cognizant reflect deeper issues in corporate governance, ethics, and employment law. While some layoffs stemmed from alleged fraud or background check failures, others appeared abrupt and lacked due process. These incidents expose vulnerabilities faced by Indian workers in the global tech and service ecosystem, highlighting the need for stronger legal protections, transparent hiring practices, and employee awareness. Companies must balance business needs with ethical treatment and lawful procedures to maintain trust and accountability.

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