In a transfer that has unsettled the Indian tech business, Tata Consultancy Companies — the nation’s largest IT firm — introduced Sunday that will probably be shedding 2 per cent of its workforce. The choice is more likely to hit mid- and senior-level staff the toughest. The announcement by the IT bellweather has sparked a level of uncertainty throughout the sector, particularly with the protectionist stance in nations such because the US and the challenges thrown up by the arrival of AI.
The massive concern: Is the Indian IT business beginning to mimic the ruthless layoff tradition of US tech giants?
For years, Indian IT corporations boasted of steady progress and job safety. However that picture is eroding. It must be underlined that India’s high tech corporations have spent the final decade aggressively increasing, practically doubling their headcount through the tech increase, particularly after the pandemic. Now, with demand softening and strain on margins, firms seem like pulling the plug on that progress story.
Collectively, the highest 4 IT firms — TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and HCL Applied sciences — make use of round 13.70 lakh individuals. However with TCS firing the primary shot, staff at different corporations are bracing for the worst. If India’s largest IT firm can slash jobs this all of a sudden, what’s stopping the remainder? That’s the large fear.
“The continued international macro-economic and geo-political uncertainties prompted a requirement contraction,” stated Okay Krithivasan, Chief Government Officer and Managing Director, TCS, whereas unveiling the corporate outcomes earlier this month. The period of assured job safety in Indian IT could also be coming to a detailed amid the worldwide commerce points and financial uncertainty. For a sector that has lengthy been seen as a secure haven for middle-class professionals, the message is obvious: nobody is immune anymore.
TCS: A decade of scaling up, variety in hiring
Over the previous decade, Tata Consultancy Companies (TCS) has demonstrated outstanding workforce progress, scaling up from 319,656 staff in March 2015 to over 613,000 by June 2025, a surge of 91.79 per cent, in line with TCS Annual Report. This progress mirrors its increasing enterprise and international attain.
In FY2015, TCS employed individuals from 122 nationalities throughout 55 nations. By FY2016, the headcount had jumped to 353,843, with over 90,000 hires, together with 74,009 in India alone. Nationality illustration rose to 129.
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FY2017 noticed the workforce develop to 387,000, with 34.7 per cent ladies and expertise from 130 nations. In FY2018, digital hiring turned the main focus, pushing the headcount to almost 395,000, with 35.3 per cent ladies and greater than 85 per cent Gen Y staff, reflecting a younger, tech-savvy pool.
By FY2019, the corporate had grown to 424,285 staff, representing 147 nationalities, and added one other 24,179 individuals in FY2020. In FY2021, the workforce reached 488,649, and in FY2022, TCS surpassed half 1,000,000 staff, with a document 103,546 web additions as a consequence of excessive demand for digital providers.
FY2023 marked a strategic pause: hiring slowed, and focus shifted to optimizing assets. The workforce reached 614,795, with attrition at 20.1 per cent, and ladies making up 35.7 per cent. The variety of represented nationalities crossed 150.
By March 2024, headcount adjusted barely to 601,546, and attrition dropped sharply to 12.5 per cent. In March 2025, it rose once more to 607,979, reaching 613,069 by June—including 293,413 staff in a decade.
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TCS’s journey is not only about numbers — it’s a narrative of scaling with function, embracing variety, and adapting with resilience in an ever-evolving tech panorama.
Infosys: Development with a post-peak correction
Infosys has seen an 84 per cent workforce progress up to now decade — from 176,000 staff in FY2015 to 323,578 in FY2025. Whereas this marks robust enlargement, the corporate’s headcount barely declined after peaking in FY2023.
In FY2023, Infosys hit a excessive of 343,234 staff, having added 50,000 recent graduates that 12 months to satisfy surging demand. However hiring slowed afterward, with headcount dipping to 317,240 in FY2024, regardless of bringing in 11,900 new graduates, as per Infosys Annual Report.
By March 2025, the quantity stood at 323,578, of which 306,599 have been supply professionals, together with trainees. The corporate maintained a powerful concentrate on shopper service supply, even throughout workforce changes.
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In FY2022, Infosys had over 314,000 staff, following regular pandemic-era progress. In FY2021, the workforce crossed 260,000, enabled by fast remote-work adaptation throughout COVID-19.
Regardless of the slight post-FY23 correction, Infosys stays a world IT powerhouse. The dip displays bigger business tendencies — automation, effectivity mandates, and shifting shopper wants. Nonetheless, Infosys continues to put money into younger expertise, construct digital capabilities, and retain its place among the many largest IT employers globally.
Wipro: Regular enlargement with strategic realignment
Wipro grew its workforce by 64 per cent over the previous decade, from 142,282 staff in FY2015 to 233,346 in FY2025, says the corporate’s Annual Report. Nevertheless, like its friends, Wipro noticed a modest decline after peaking in FY2023.
In FY2023, Wipro reached an all-time excessive with 245,000+ staff unfold throughout 65 nations. The next 12 months, FY2024, the rely adjusted to 234,054, with ladies making up 36.6 per cent of the workforce—a notable rise from 30.2 per cent in FY2015.
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By March 2025, the workforce stood at 233,346, with staff representing 146 nationalities, showcasing Wipro’s concentrate on variety and international integration. Again in FY2015, the corporate had 142,282 everlasting staff, alongside 28,200 contractors or retainers supporting varied capabilities.
Although hiring slowed after FY23, Wipro stays one of many largest IT employers in India. Its latest moderation in workforce numbers displays a strategic pivot towards effectivity, automation, and long-term sustainability amid evolving international tech dynamics.
HCL Tech: Doubling expertise by regular progress
HCL Applied sciences greater than doubled its workforce over the past decade — from 106,107 in FY2015 to 227,481 by FY2024. This trajectory underlines HCL Tech’s constant rise within the international IT providers panorama.
In response to HCL Tech Annual Report, in FY2024, the corporate onboarded 12,141 freshers, rising its headcount by 1,537 web additions. The attrition price stood at 12.4 per cent, indicating steady retention in a aggressive business.
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A decade earlier, HCL Tech had grown from 91,691 in FY2014 to 106,107 in FY2015, setting the stage for sustained enlargement. Since then, it has steadily added expertise annually, using the demand wave for cloud, engineering, and digital transformation providers.
This progress not solely displays HCL Tech’s means to scale but additionally its dedication to constructing a resilient, future-ready workforce, with a powerful concentrate on coaching, onboarding recent expertise, and navigating business shifts.