Leading IT services companies such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech, Cognizant, and Accenture are showing mixed trends in hiring as they navigate changing global demand, increased focus on AI and cloud, and cost management pressures. While the overall hiring sentiment has improved marginally in 2025 compared to the previous year, companies are adopting a cautious and strategic approach.
TCS hired around 42,000 freshers in FY 2025 and continues to invest in early career talent, with lateral hiring drives conducted in major cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Pune. The company added a net of 6,433 employees in the fiscal year, showing quarterly fluctuations with a decline in Q3 due to seasonal factors. Attrition levels hovered around 12–13 percent.
Infosys followed a similar pattern, hiring over 6,000 net employees and announcing plans to recruit more than 20,000 freshers in FY 2026. The company also resumed wage hikes and maintained a strong focus on reskilling in digital and AI-related areas.
Implications for Job Seekers
Fresher roles: High volume but beware of long waiting periods for onboarding — especially in larger firms like TCS, as echoed in Reddit experiences.
Lateral openings: Mid-level professionals have growing opportunities via lateral drives.
Tier‑2 locations: Increasing job availability outside metros; favorable cost structure.
Skill demands: Roles in AI, cloud, fintech, cybersecurity, data engineering are expanding rapidly.
Job growth
Wipro reported modest net additions of around 732 employees during the fiscal year, as it remained conservative in hiring due to uncertain demand in its key markets.
HCLTech added over 2,000 employees in a single quarter, while Tech Mahindra reduced its headcount by close to 3,800 during the same period.
Cognizant announced a significant investment of ₹1,582 crore to build a campus in Visakhapatnam that will create 8,000 jobs by 2029. The company also launched a tech-fin centre at GIFT City in Gujarat, expected to employ 2,000 professionals in three years.
Companies are increasingly expanding their operations into tier-2 cities such as Bhubaneswar, Indore, Madurai, and Visakhapatnam to tap into local talent, reduce costs, and decongest their metro office hubs. These cities are becoming hotspots for fresh graduates and lateral hires, particularly in roles related to cloud, cybersecurity, and data analytics, Reuters news report said.
The AI revolution is reshaping job roles. Firms like TCS have split their AI business into separate verticals to focus on hiring AI and cloud specialists. Executives such as Infosys founder Narayana Murthy have expressed optimism that AI will create more high-skilled jobs, rather than eliminate them. Overall, demand remains healthy in areas such as machine learning, data science, full-stack development, and platform engineering.
Job seekers in the IT sector should be aware that while fresher hiring remains strong, there are often delays in onboarding, especially in larger firms, BusinessToday news report indicated. Lateral opportunities are increasing, especially for professionals with 3–8 years of experience in high-demand domains. Companies are also reskilling existing employees and focusing on internal mobility as an alternative to fresh hiring in certain areas.
Fresh graduates, who share posts and discussions on Reddit — a popular online forum — talk about their real-life experiences with IT companies like TCS, Infosys, Wipro, etc.
The hiring outlook for FY 2026 is cautiously optimistic. Companies are selectively investing in people and technology, signaling a return to growth mode — but with greater focus on productivity, digital transformation, and operational efficiency.
Rajani Baburajan
