Realme job cuts in 2026: Oppo restructuring in India leads to Realme workforce reduction

The Realme layoffs in India mark the first major workforce reduction following Oppo’s decision to reintegrate the brand as a sub-label. Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo is said to have initiated job cuts in its Realme operations in India as a part of a larger operation restructuring only a few weeks after the brand was officially reintegrated as a sub-brand under Oppo. In the first wave of layoffs, as reported by Business Today, Realme is already experiencing sales and support staff layoffs in India, and it may look to cut other sectors in the coming months as the strategic change is executed. This latest Oppo India news signals a sharper consolidation than the company had initially communicated.

These Realme job cuts in 2026 are expected to begin with sales and support teams before expanding to other departments. It is the first step in the layoffs in India should affect the Realme sales and support teams and more cuts will be seen in other functions as the process goes on. Several references Moneycontrol quotes state that employees working in sales and service networks will be directed to step down by 30 April 2026 as a part of the process. Oppo and Realme have not made any official statements concerning the changes in personnel based on the demands of the media.

What is happening at Realme India?

The Oppo–Realme reintegration was officially announced on January 7, 2026, as part of a global consolidation strategy. When the reintegration announcement was first made both companies indicated that they would continue to have separate brand identities when joining internal resources together. Realme now operates again as a sub-brand under Oppo after years of functioning independently. Nevertheless, recent events indicate that to a greater degree than initially indicated, there is consolidation with overlapping sales and support functions being eliminated and internal functions being brought together under a single structure. The Realme layoffs come amid broader Chinese smartphone layoffs in India as brands streamline operations due to slowing demand.

Realme job cuts in 2026: Where the changes are happening

The Oppo restructuring in India reflects the company’s effort to eliminate overlapping roles after absorbing Realme’s operations. The layoffs are occurring in India, which is one of the largest foreign markets with large sales and distribution channels of Oppo and Realme. Sources claim that in China already, the activities of Realme have been integrated into the structure of Oppo. In India, the process is being undertaken more tentatively partly because of the legal and regulatory factors which do not allow a more aggressive integration.

Realme was acquired back as an Oppo brand following a global strategic move to have brands under the same parent structure, and this is partly because the smartphone industry faces cost pressures. Formal re-integration was announced in early January 2026, and layoff has begun, seemingly, in the weeks following this announcement.

How this may affect employees and the market

Reports indicate that the Realme sales team layoffs are the first phase of a wider workforce rationalisation exercise. To Realme workers, salespeople, and after-sales support employees especially, this has a direct impact; the immediate uncertainty of their jobs and possible displacement as teams are combined. The development adds to growing concerns about smartphone industry layoffs in India in 2026. To the Indian smart phone market, the merger can lead to fewer redundancies in the operations and a more effective distribution and service network under Oppo. Realme products will still be sold under the Realme name although layoffs are predicted to lead to a tightening of the backend operations with the infrastructure of Oppo. The Realme India restructuring is expected to continue in phases over the coming months.