Opendoor Shuts India Unit After Hiring Nearly 250, as AI Push and U.S. Focus Deepen
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Jun 11
Opendoor Shuts India Unit After Hiring Nearly 250, as AI Push and U.S. Focus Deepen
3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Jun 11
Summary
Less than two years after opening offices in Chennai and Bengaluru, Opendoor is closing its India operations after building a local team of nearly 250 employees.
CEO Kaz Nejatian said the company is bringing operational work back to the U.S. and shifting to smaller AI-native teams, though the move also comes amid broader cost cuts.
1,042 employees worked at Opendoor globally at the end of last year, down from 1,470 a year earlier; its non-U.S. workforce fell to 184 from 342.
The closure has drawn outsized attention because India hosts more than 2,100 global capability centers employing about 2.36 million people and generating nearly $100 billion in annual revenue.
Investors and outsourcing analysts say the case may signal a wider AI-driven shift away from labor-heavy offshore operations, even if Opendoor's own housing-market struggles also shaped the decision.
Is Opendoor's AI pivot a true revolution or a convenient excuse for layoffs in a tough market?
As AI replaces offshore teams, are India's Global Capability Centers facing an inevitable collapse?
When AI automates work, what is the new defensible moat for any modern business?
Opendoor Exits India as AI Reshapes Global Workforce: Pursuing Profitability and U.S.-Centric Operations by 2027
Overview
Opendoor has decided to shut down its India operations as of June 11, 2026, laying off its local workforce. This move comes as the company’s main customers are in America, making it more efficient to handle operational work closer to them. Previously, Opendoor relied on a large team in India for manual workflows, but with major advances in technology and the integration of AI-enabled teams in the United States, the need for overseas manual work has decreased. Opendoor has promised comprehensive support for affected employees during this transition.