More than 200 Telstra jobs are expected to be cut, as the telco rolls out AI capabilities and sends some jobs to India.

Telstra and the technology consultancy Accenture announced a $700m joint venture (JV) in 2025 to drive efficiency, modernisation and productivity.

A JV spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that the team had been notified “about proposed changes to its workforce, including reducing roles where work is no longer needed, and moving some work to the JV team in India”.

If the changes proceed, the spokesperson said, affected team members would be helped to find new jobs either at Telstra or at Accenture, or have “access to our leading career transition program and retrenchment benefits”.

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“These changes would see the JV use Accenture’s global capabilities, advanced AI expertise and specialist hub in India to deliver Telstra’s data and AI roadmap more quickly.

“We anticipate that over time this would result in improved cost efficiencies and bring an enhanced experience to Telstra’s customers.”

It is understood 209 jobs face the axe.

In 2024, Telstra announced it would cut 2,800 jobs from its enterprise business, which services businesses and government agencies. The cuts wouldn’t affect retail customers, it said.

In May 2025, Telstra said “AI efficiencies” would allow it to shrink its workforce by 2030.

Telstra’s chief executive, Vicki Brady, said AI would “be a significant unlock when it comes to enabling our workforce”.

Agentic AI – which can work autonomously – would be working alongside Telstra staff, she said.

Optus has previously said AI would have a big role to play in telecommunications but that humans would remain central.

Announcing the JV, Telstra said it would drive productivity and growth, “build on Telstra’s work creating a world-class data and AI ecosystem, modernising its data and AI platforms, and embedding responsible AI by design”.

“We are entering a new era of AI-driven reinvention,” the Accenture chair and chief executive officer, Julie Sweet, said at the time.