Meta Expands in India Despite Layoffs | Latest News

Meta Expands in Bengaluru Despite Global Layoffs

Last month, Meta announced a reduction of 5% of its workforce, a move that sparked debate due to the characterization of those affected as “low performers.” However, these workforce adjustments haven't stalled Meta’s expansion plans in specific regions.

New Site in Bengaluru

Multiple Meta employees have shared on LinkedIn that the company is establishing a new facility in Bengaluru, India – a prominent technology center formerly known as Bangalore.

Currently, Meta is actively recruiting for 41 positions at this location, as indicated on its careers webpage. The majority of these openings have been advertised within the past month.

Focus on Engineering and Chip Design

The available roles are primarily divided between software and machine learning engineer positions, alongside opportunities focused on the design of chips for Meta’s data centers.

A recent job advertisement on LinkedIn seeks an “experienced Engineering Director” to spearhead the development and leadership of Meta’s engineering team in India.

This director will be tasked with formulating a hiring strategy, building initial engineering teams, and establishing a long-term vision for engineering operations within India.

Enterprise Engineering Team

According to a LinkedIn post from a Meta employee, the new center will operate as part of Meta’s Enterprise Engineering team.

This team concentrates on developing custom internal tools for Meta’s use, distinct from its widely recognized consumer products like Facebook and Instagram.

India Presence and Shift in Strategy

While Meta maintains several existing offices throughout India, including locations in Hyderabad, Gurgaon, New Delhi, and Mumbai, these offices generally have fewer vacancies.

Furthermore, the majority of openings at these other locations are not engineering-focused; only 1 out of 12 available positions is related to engineering, according to Meta’s careers page.

A Meta spokesperson in India confirmed to TechCrunch that the company is recruiting for a “small number of engineering positions” specifically in Bengaluru.

The spokesperson stated that Meta “regularly updates our location strategies to support our long-term investments.”

Global Context and Historical Trends

The 41 positions in Bengaluru represent a relatively small fraction of Meta’s overall global job postings, which currently exceed 1,700.

However, this signifies a strategic shift for Meta, which has historically relied on North America and Europe as its primary engineering hubs.

Notably, in 2022, an Indian software engineer gained attention after being laid off by Meta shortly after relocating to Canada for the role.

Backfilling and Future Plans

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has communicated the company’s intention to fill the positions that were eliminated during its recent round of layoffs.