e-commerce
Amazon cuts 16,000 jobs worldwide
WASHINGTON: Amazon has slashed 16,000 jobs worldwide in a fresh wave of layoffs, deepening one of the most aggressive restructurings in its history as the company unwinds pandemic-era over-hiring and leans harder into artificial intelligence.
The cuts, reported by Reuters, come just three months after an earlier round of job losses and form part of a broader plan to eliminate around 30,000 corporate roles. Employees across Amazon Web Services, retail, Prime Video and human resources are expected to be affected.
The latest move underscores chief executive Andy Jassy’s push to flatten Amazon’s sprawling corporate structure. When the first phase of layoffs was announced in October, Jassy said the decision was not driven by short-term financial pressure or artificial intelligence, but by culture. Years of rapid expansion, he said, had created too many layers of management, slowing decision-making and adding complexity.
Analysts say the savings from the cuts are likely to be redirected towards Amazon’s priorities, particularly generative AI and automation within AWS.
Amazon’s retrenchment is part of an efficiency programme launched during the pandemic, when hiring surged to meet soaring demand. Since 2022, the company has cut more than 27,000 roles, with recent rounds hitting its cloud, retail, devices and communications businesses.
Jassy has been explicit about where the company is headed. He has said Amazon intends to streamline its hierarchy to “remove complexity and flatten organisations”, and warned employees that further changes are likely as AI reshapes the workforce.
Speaking to staff in June 2025, he said Amazon “will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs” as generative AI is embedded across operations.
Earlier Reuters reporting suggested that job losses this year could affect up to 30,000 positions across human resources, devices and services, operations and other departments. Smaller cuts have already taken place in 2026, including limited layoffs in communications and sustainability teams in January.
Amazon has said affected employees will be given 90 days to apply for internal transfers, with recruiters instructed to prioritise internal candidates. Those who fail to secure new roles will receive severance pay, outplacement support and continued healthcare benefits.
For Amazon’s workforce, the message is stark: the era of relentless hiring is over. Efficiency, automation and AI now set the tempo—and fewer seats will be left when the music stops.
e-commerce
Instamart and Duolingo launch street spell check campaign for Instaprint
Duo the owl fixes signboard typos across cities to showcase instant printing.
MUMBAI: If spelling mistakes had a sworn enemy, it might just be a bright green owl with a printer. Instamart has teamed up with language learning platform Duolingo for a quirky nationwide campaign that turns everyday spelling errors into a public spectacle while promoting its instant printing service, InstaPrint. The playful activation takes aim at the many misspelled shop boards and public signs scattered across Indian streets. From “saloons” that promise haircuts rather than drinks to menus and posters peppered with punctuation mishaps, the campaign sends Duolingo’s mascot Duo on a mission to restore linguistic order.
Armed with Instamart’s instant printing feature, Duo prints corrected versions of the mistakes on the spot and pastes them over the originals. The result is a series of humorous street interventions that have quickly begun circulating on social media.
Photos and videos of the grammar correcting owl have been widely shared online, with amused users reacting to the unexpected spell check patrol. One user joked, “Ab ayega na maza bhidu,” capturing the internet’s delight at the unusual campaign.
Behind the humour lies a practical message. The activation is designed to showcase the capabilities of Instaprint, Instamart’s printing service that allows users to print documents and posters almost instantly.
The company says the feature is meant for everyday needs such as printing resumes, visa documents or last minute posters without the usual scramble to locate a print shop.
Instamart introduced Instaprint in 2025 across select metropolitan cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. The service allows users to order printed materials directly through the platform, extending the quick commerce model beyond groceries and household essentials.
By combining Duolingo’s famously persistent owl with India’s street level spelling quirks, the campaign taps into the internet’s long running fascination with grammar mistakes while demonstrating a real world use case for instant printing.
After all, in a world full of typos, sometimes what you really need is a quick printer and a very determined language teacher.
