Daraz Nepal has laid off around 30 employees in recent weeks as part of a broader restructuring effort across South Asia, according to company sources and former staff members.

The job cuts come as the Alibaba-backed e-commerce platform seeks to streamline operations and improve profitability amid growing pressure on technology companies to operate more efficiently.

The restructuring coincides with the departure of Daraz Nepal Managing Director Aanchal Kunwar, who will step down on July 1 after four and a half years in the role. She will continue to serve as an adviser until December 31, according to the company.

Ben Yi, currently managing director of Daraz Bangladesh, will take over as acting managing director of Daraz Nepal. Ratish Luintel has been appointed chief commercial officer.

In a statement announcing the leadership transition, Daraz said its business had doubled during Kunwar’s tenure and its customer base had grown to more than three million.

“When I returned to Nepal, my goal was not only to grow a business but to build a capable organisation, strong leadership and a robust digital ecosystem for Nepal,” Kunwar said. “I am proud of what we achieved together.”

While the company has described the changes as part of a “leadership transition plan”, current and former employees say the layoffs are linked to a wider regional effort to simplify operations and reduce costs.

Several former employees said signs of downsizing emerged earlier this year when the company froze recruitment.

A former senior employee said the process began shortly after the hiring freeze was introduced at the start of 2026. Two other former employees independently confirmed the layoffs to Kantipur. Their identities have been withheld because of confidentiality agreements with the company.

One former employee said she was called into what was described as a performance review meeting and asked to resign immediately.

“I was told to handwrite a resignation letter on the spot,” she said. “I didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye to my colleagues.”

According to her, access to company systems was revoked, and her laptop was collected before she left the meeting room. She said managers told her that her role had been eliminated under the new organisational structure.

Another employee who lost his job said workforce reductions can sometimes be necessary for companies seeking to remain financially sustainable.

“I don’t want to call the process entirely wrong simply because I was affected,” he said. “Reducing staff can be one option to keep a company afloat.”

However, he questioned the decision to recruit employees shortly before eliminating positions.

“It doesn’t seem fair to hire someone one month and remove them the next in the name of restructuring,” he said. “I left a stable job to join Daraz. Until last week, I was being praised for my work. This week, I was told to leave.”

He said immediately revoking access to company systems and collecting company equipment is standard practice across much of the technology sector for security reasons. However, he argued that the company could have handled the transition more transparently.

Daraz Nepal has offered severance packages to affected employees.

Under the packages, employees will receive a minimum payment equivalent to three months’ salary, plus an additional month’s salary for every year worked at the company.

Employee with seven years of service will receive compensation equivalent to 10 months’ salary, including their monthly pay and an additional seven months’ salary for their years of service. Employees with shorter tenures will receive payments proportional to their length of service.

Daraz says it now serves more than three million customers in Nepal.

The company does not disclose its workforce size publicly, but former employees estimate it employs between 150 and 200 full-time staff. Most are based at its offices in Thasikhel and Thapathali. Delivery and logistics operations, which rely heavily on contract and daily-wage workers, are estimated to employ between 1,300 and 1,500 people.

The restructuring extends beyond Nepal.

Employees familiar with the matter said Daraz has laid off between 80 and 90 employees in Bangladesh and around 30 in Sri Lanka, with similar measures reported in Pakistan and Myanmar.

The company carried out a previous round of regional layoffs in early 2024. At the time, acting Daraz Group chief executive James Z. Dong said the company needed a leaner and more agile organisation to navigate market challenges and meet financial targets.

Daraz’s restructuring reflects a broader trend across the global technology sector.

According to layoff tracker TrueUp.io, 367 companies eliminated more than 149,900 jobs during the first five months of 2026. Oracle cut 50,332 positions, Intel 46,591 and Meta 34,571. Amazon eliminated 27,523 jobs, while HP reduced its workforce by 28,826.

Layoffs.fyi reported that Meta alone cut around 8,000 jobs in May and June, while Cisco eliminated 4,000 positions.

Industry analysts say many technology companies are reducing headcount not because of financial distress but to improve productivity, lower costs and adapt to an increasingly AI-driven business environment.

CNBC journalist Dylan Butts reported that Alibaba Group, Daraz’s parent company, reduced its workforce by 34 percent in 2025 while significantly increasing investment in artificial intelligence.

According to people familiar with Daraz Nepal’s operations, the company is now focused on turning operating gains into sustained profitability.

One former employee said Daraz Nepal’s EBITDA, a measure of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation, has turned positive.

“Daraz Nepal is generating operating profits,” he said. “But the company has not yet reached net profitability.”

He said the restructuring and workforce reductions were likely intended to accelerate the company’s path towards sustained profits.