Uber shuts down Mumbai office but all jobs safe as employees shift to work from home

Uber undertook two downsizing exercises, slashing close to 6,700 jobs globally.

Uber has closed down its Mumbai office as part of the US-headquartered firm’s decision to shut 45 offices globally, sources in the know said. The move is unlikely to impact jobs as employees have shifted to working from home and it continues to be “business as usual,” they said.

Uber India did not comment on the matter. However, a company spokesperson said: “Uber continues to provide a high level of service to all its riders in Mumbai.”

Online cab aggregators registered a significant dip in bookings as corporates shifted to working from home while consumers, in general, have limited movements to check the spread of the virus. Closure of educational institutions have added to the woes.

In May, the company laid off 600 permanent employees across operations in India due to the “impact of Covid-19 and the unpredictable nature of the recovery.” Uber undertook two downsizing exercises, slashing close to 6,700 jobs globally.

“All together, the actions we’ve taken and the actions we intend to take in the near future will result in a reduction of more than ($)1 billion in annualised fixed cost versus our Q4 plan,” CEO Dara Khosrowshahi had said during the company’s Q12020 earnings call.

Uber’s net losses shot up to $2.9 billion in the January-March quarter from $1 billion in Q12019. Uber India, headquartered in Gurgaon, operates in more than 70 cities in the country.