When Meta decided to lay off hundreds of employees from its artificial intelligence division, the move created waves across the tech world. But while many saw it as another sad chapter in the ongoing tech layoffs, an Indian-origin entrepreneur turned it into an opportunity. Sudarshan Kamath, the founder of Smallest AI, announced that his company will hire talented professionals who lost their jobs at Meta. He even offered eye-popping salaries — as high as ₹5.2 crore per year — to the best candidates.
This story has now become a major talking point in both Silicon Valley and India’s startup community. It reflects the growing strength of Indian-origin founders in the global tech scene and highlights how startups are beginning to compete directly with tech giants for world-class talent.
The Layoffs at Meta
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has been restructuring its artificial intelligence units for months. Recently, Meta decided to cut around 600 employees from its AI divisions, including the Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) team and the Superintelligence Labs group. These departments focus on advanced machine learning, speech processing, and generative AI — areas that demand highly skilled engineers and researchers.
The layoffs came as Meta started reorganizing its AI strategy to integrate generative AI more closely with its social products. This move shocked many employees because these teams were considered the future of Meta’s AI research. However, as part of the company’s “efficiency year,” Meta chose to reduce overlapping teams and streamline costs.
Many of those who lost their jobs were experienced engineers with years of cutting-edge AI experience. Their sudden availability in the job market created a rare opportunity for smaller startups looking for world-class AI talent.
Sudarshan Kamath’s Bold Move
Sudarshan Kamath, an Indian-origin entrepreneur based in the United States, saw this as a golden opportunity. Kamath founded Smallest AI, a U.S.-based artificial intelligence startup that focuses on speech technology — building tools that can understand, process, and generate human speech naturally and intelligently.
Instead of waiting for the laid-off engineers to settle, Kamath directly reached out through social media. He announced that Smallest AI is hiring from among the laid-off Meta employees. His post was short, direct, and confident. He wrote that his team is looking for people to join their speech team in San Francisco, and the compensation would range between $200,000 and $600,000 per year — that’s roughly ₹1.75 crore to ₹5.2 crore in Indian currency.
He also added one clear condition: applicants must be “smart and hungry.” He wanted people who not only have the skills but also the drive to build something meaningful from scratch. His tone was bold and unapologetic — quite different from the polished, corporate language that big tech companies usually use in job announcements.
What Smallest AI Does
Smallest AI focuses on speech-to-speech systems, speech generation, and full-duplex conversational AI — in simple words, technology that allows machines to talk and respond like humans in real-time.
The company works on creating natural voice interactions where users can speak to AI models without delays or robotic tones. This kind of technology lies at the heart of future products like AI assistants, voice-based learning tools, and human-like digital companions.
While big companies like OpenAI and Google are building massive multi-purpose AI systems, Smallest AI is taking a focused approach. It aims to build a specialized speech AI that can outperform larger systems in accuracy, emotional tone, and responsiveness.
Kamath believes that small, fast-moving teams can innovate better than large organizations weighed down by bureaucracy. That philosophy forms the core of Smallest AI — a company that’s “small by design” but ambitious in scope.
The Job Offer Everyone Is Talking About
What makes Kamath’s announcement special is not just the timing but the salary range. Offering up to ₹5.2 crore for top roles is a bold statement for a startup. Most early-stage startups can’t even dream of paying such high salaries. But Kamath wanted to make it clear that Smallest AI is ready to compete directly with the best companies in Silicon Valley to hire top minds in artificial intelligence.
The salary range of $200,000 to $600,000 shows how valuable AI engineers and researchers have become. In the past, such pay scales were reserved for senior engineers at Google, Apple, or Meta. Now, startups like Smallest AI are stepping into the same league, signaling a massive shift in how tech talent is valued.
The company also offers equity options, meaning employees can own part of the company and share in its future success. This makes the offer even more attractive for ambitious engineers who want to build something from the ground up.
A Wake-Up Call for Big Tech
Kamath’s move highlights a growing trend — the decentralization of AI innovation. Big tech firms once controlled the AI race because they had the money and data. But now, small startups with clear focus and lean teams are emerging as powerful competitors.
When a small company like Smallest AI can attract talent from Meta, it sends a strong message: innovation no longer belongs only to the giants. The future of AI might belong to small, focused, and fearless teams.
This shift also reflects how Indian-origin founders are shaping the global AI ecosystem. From OpenAI’s Sam Altman working with Indian research teams to startups like Sarvam AI and Krutrim in India, the influence of Indian talent in AI is growing fast. Kamath’s leadership adds another chapter to this story, showing that Indian-origin entrepreneurs are not just contributing but also leading at the global level.
The Real Opportunity
For the laid-off Meta employees, this job offer is more than a paycheck. It’s a chance to work in a startup where their ideas can directly shape the product. Startups like Smallest AI give employees the freedom to experiment, fail, and build quickly — something large companies often struggle to allow.
Moreover, working at a smaller firm offers a sense of ownership. When engineers see their code turn into a product within weeks, it reignites their passion for building. Many employees who leave big tech often find new energy in startups, where the pace is fast and the work feels meaningful.
Kamath’s message also carried an emotional undertone. He didn’t just offer jobs; he offered a challenge — to be “smart and hungry.” It’s a call for those who want to build the next wave of human-like AI systems, not just maintain the old ones.
What This Means for the AI Industry
This story isn’t just about one founder or one company. It reflects a broader transformation in the tech world. The demand for AI talent is skyrocketing. Every company, from finance to healthcare, wants AI experts. But the best minds often prefer places where they can create freely, without red tape or politics.
Startups like Smallest AI are becoming the new homes for these innovators. They move fast, experiment more, and push boundaries in areas like speech AI, computer vision, and reasoning models. As funding flows into the AI sector, these smaller teams are set to play a big role in shaping the future of the technology.
For India, this also marks a proud moment. Indian-origin founders like Sudarshan Kamath are proving that Indian talent can lead high-impact innovation globally. They are not just coding for others; they are building the future.
Conclusion
Sudarshan Kamath’s decision to hire laid-off Meta employees at salaries up to ₹5.2 crore shows courage, vision, and belief in the power of small teams. He turned a mass layoff story into one of opportunity and hope. His company, Smallest AI, stands as proof that innovation thrives where ambition meets agility.
As the AI revolution accelerates, stories like this remind us that the most powerful ideas often come from people who refuse to wait for permission — people who see a door closing and decide to build a new one.
Also Read – Top 10 Credit Startups Targeting Bharat, Not India