Trusted Media Brands (TMB) – an American multi-platform media and publishing company – has drastically reduced its staff in India, abruptly firing dozens on October 1, 2025.
The company employed more than 200 workers in India. The firings were described as part of an internal restructuring. As per an executive who is still retained by the company, the exact numbers are still withheld from them but speculate that close to half the workforce was eliminated.
The company’s COO Kanuj Malhotra informed the employees about the layoffs on Wednesday at 11 am in a “mandatory all-hands” call. TMB operates in India through its fully owned subsidiary Jukin Media India Pvt Ltd.
“It was a four-minute monologue by Kanuj. Everything seemed scripted. He didn’t flinch as coldly announced the end of our careers. What was worse is the fact that he didn’t feel apologetic while announcing this,” says one of TMB employees, present in the meeting, who has since been fired.
The affected employees, Malhotra told in the all-hands call, would receive an email shortly after the meeting and their email accounts would be disabled by 12 noon, essentially giving them less than an hour to wind up their work and save any important employment related documents.
Within just 10 minutes, the company sent out mails to the laid-off employees. “It was the longest wait of our lives. Imagine the fact that this happened on a day when our festive season was starting. It is a US-based company. Can they fire employees in US on Christmas eve? This was pure evil,” says another employee, who is sole bread-earner of his family, and has recently taken a home loan.
The Newsd has seen and verified the termination emails. “As part of a recent business restructuring, we have had to make some difficult decisions regarding certain roles within the company. Unfortunately, your current role has been identified as one impacted by this change, and we regret to inform you that your employment with Jukin Media India Pvt. Ltd. will terminate, effective October 1, 2025,” the e-mail stated.
The company recently hired Stephen Colvin as its CEO.
As part of the severance package, the employees of TMB would be given a month’s salary. Sources suggest that it is the beginning of lay-offs at the brand, which published Readers Digest, Taste of Home and Family Handyman.
