Shark Tank India judge Anupam Mittal on Oracle layoffs: 12,000 were not cut because ship was sinking, they were because ...

Oracle recently announced layoff of around 12,000 employees in India. The US software giant also revoked dozens of job offers made to students at India’s premier engineering colleges, including the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) and National Institute of Technology (NITs). Now, Shaadi.com founder and Shark Tank India judge Anupam Mittal has also shared his thoughts on Oracle’s recent mass layoffs and revoking of offer letters in India. In long LinkedIn post, Mittal said that this is the sign of company’s transition to automation rather than financial distress.

Reflecting on his own layoff during the 2001 dot-com crash, Mittal noted that back then the jobs were eliminated to save struggling companies. In contrast, Oracle’s revenue and stock are up in 2026. “The 12,000 were not cut because the ship was sinking. They were cut because the ship is learning to sail itself,” he wrote. Mittal also criticised the popular advice circulating in the tech circles that the laid-off employees should start companies or become founders. “Fortune cookie wisdom. Trash! 12,000 people are not & should not become founders. Founder life is brutal and the survival rate is dismal,” he said.

On the other hand, Mittal has urged the professionals to examine where they appear in their employer’s P&L statement. “If the answer is the cost column, you are in the line of fire. If the answer is the revenue or profit line, AI is your leverage, not your replacement,” he explained.


Read Anupam Mittal’s complete post here
Are you in danger of getting laid off?

Oracle just rescinded many of its campus offers & last month 12 k Oracle India employees got fired …via email ��

I've been thinking about that coz I got laid off myself in 2001 during the dot-com crash in D.C. I still remember that walk back, felt like a free fall ��

But in 2001, jobs were being eliminated to save cos so it didn’t hurt as much.

In 2026, Oracle is fine. Revenue up. Stock up.

The 12,000 were not cut because the ship was sinking. They were cut because the ship is learning to sail itself.

The advice going around right now is 'start a company, become a founder, build with AI.' Fortune cookie wisdom. Trash !

Lets be real - 12,000 people are not & should not become founders. Founder life is brutal and the survival rate is dismal.

The real lesson is uncomfortable but useful.

When your employer reads the P&L, where do you show up?

If the answer is the cost column, you are in the line of fire & need to start taking action.
If the answer is the revenue or profitline, AI is your leverage, not your replacement ����