As Donald Trump¡¯s tariffs fuel layoffs in the US, People Group founder Anupam Mittal recalls how his 2001 job loss led to Shaadi.com

With Donald Trump¡¯s new tariffs hitting countries like China, Mexico, and Canada, and mass layoffs across federal agencies, many in the US are feeling uneasy. As uncertainty grows, People Group founder Anupam Mittal shared his own experience of losing his job during the 2001 dot-com crash, reminding people how losing everything also sparked something new.

Anupam Mittal on losing a job and building from scratch

Anupam Mittal, recalled how he had no backup plan. The walk back from his office that day, he said, felt like a ¡°free fall.¡±

In his Linkedin post, Mittal said that initially he blamed the economy, cursed his luck, and kept refreshing job boards. Then one day, he wrote down a question in his diary: ¡°What would I build if I had nothing left to lose?¡± That moment changed everything. Instead of continuing job applications, he decided to build something from scratch¡ªone rough website at a time.

It wasn¡¯t easy. Mittal wrote that he had no savings, no strong network, and only a dial-up connection. But with his cousins and a basic idea, he kept moving. That blurry idea later became Shaadi.com, a matchmaking brand that reshaped how marriages were arranged in India and abroad.

He believes that people often overthink strategy and wait for clarity, but clarity comes from taking action. As he wrote, ¡°You take one step in a direction that excites you¡ªeven if you¡¯re scared. And life starts moving again.¡±

Federal layoffs in the thousands

More than 280,200 federal workers and contractors have been laid off in the past two months, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. This includes those impacted by actions from Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Layoffs have hit about 27 US federal agencies. The DOGE-driven downsizing also included voluntary buyouts, with at least 75,000 workers accepting them by February 2025.

Additionally, about 150,000 federal workers leave their jobs annually due to retirement or resignation, per data shared by The New York Times. But this year, the scale and speed of exits are higher, increasing the sense of instability. U.S. News noted how this uncertainty has started affecting workers¡¯ mental health.

International students also hit

Separate from the layoffs, international students are dealing with a different crisis. A report by the Associated Press revealed that students from major institutions like Arizona State, Cornell, North Carolina State, the University of Oregon, and the University of Texas lost their legal status without warning.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the revocation of over 300 student visas, mostly tied to campus protests. He added, ¡°Maybe more ¡ª it might be more than 300 at this point. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa.¡± Student records have also reportedly been deleted by federal agencies without informing universities.

Rubio defended the move by saying, ¡°We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree, not to become a social activist that tears up our university campuses.¡± These actions have raised concerns about transparency and fairness, especially for students who are now at risk of arrest and deportation.

Anupam Mittal¡¯s journey serves as a reminder that while layoffs can feel like the end, they can also become the beginning of something new. As the US faces another period of job instability, his experience shows how action, even in uncertainty, can open up new directions.

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