Barclays to move marketing work from London to India, affecting up to 50 employees

Barclays is preparing to move parts of its marketing operation from London to India, a shift that could put up to 50 jobs at risk as the bank looks to cut costs and increase its use of artificial intelligence.

The British lender plans to reduce headcount in its in-house advertising unit and transfer the work overseas by the end of August, the Telegraph reported.

The changes will include the closure of Barclays’ London-based content writing team, which employs around 20 staff and operates from the bank’s headquarters at Canary Wharf, according to the report.

Barclays is expected to replace the London roles with a larger marketing content team in India, supported by AI tools designed to produce more targeted advertising and digital copy. While the new team will be bigger, the bank anticipates lower overall staffing costs due to significantly reduced wage levels.

Employees in India will use artificial intelligence to help generate marketing materials, including promotional content for Barclays’ website, the Telegraph reported.

The move forms part of a broader restructuring within the bank’s marketing function. Staff were first informed of the plans at a meeting last July, attended by around 50 employees whose roles were potentially affected.

Barclays already has a substantial presence in India, employing more than 30,000 people across major hubs including Mumbai and New Delhi. The country has become a key centre for global banks seeking to combine scale with lower operating costs.

The latest shift also reflects a growing trend across the financial sector, where firms are increasingly turning to offshore teams and automation tools to streamline support functions, even in traditionally London-based corporate roles.

Some staff in Barclays’ London marketing department were laid off last year, while others were redeployed internally. Further contract terminations are expected in the coming months as the transition progresses, according to the Telegraph.

The restructuring underscores the pressure on major banks to balance cost discipline with digital investment, as AI tools begin to reshape not only back-office operations but also customer-facing functions such as marketing and communications.

---