TCS, Infosys, HCL Tech, Wipro: What Q3 headcount of BIG 4 Indian IT giants indicate? | Stock Market News

The big boys of the Indian IT sector plan to ramp up hiring in the next financial year (FY26), driven by green shoots in demand and signs of healthy economic growth in key Western markets.

In the recently concluded December quarter, the big four IT companies—TCS, Infosys, HCL Technologies, and Wipro—announced their plans to add more employees in the ongoing quarter and the next financial year, while some of them experiencing an increase in attrition and a decline in total headcount during the quarter.

According to media reports, the Indian IT sector is expected to see an addition of over 70,000 freshers in the financial year 2025-2026.

Let’s take a look at the workforce trends of the big four Indian IT companies in Q3FY25:

TCS

TCS headcount declined by more than 5,000 employees in Q3FY25. Its workforce stood at 607,354 as of December 31st, while IT services’ attrition was 13 per cent for the last 12 months.

As per media reports, TCS plans to hire 40,000 freshers from campuses this year.

Infosys

Infosys added a net of 5,591 employees in Q3FY25, bringing its total headcount to 3,23,379 employees from 3,17,718 in the preceding quarter.

India’s second-largest software services company reported an attrition rate of 13.7 per cent, compared to 12.9 per cent in the preceding September quarter and the year-ago period.

According to reports, the company plans to hire 15,000 to 20,000 fresh college graduates in the financial year 2024-2025.

HCL Technologies

HCL Tech reported a marginal increase in attrition rate to 13.2 per cent for Q3FY25. It witnessed a net addition of 2,134 employees during the quarter. The total headcount at the end of December 2024 stood at 2,20,755 as against 2,24,756 in the same period last year. According to reports, the IT major has revised its fresher hiring target for FY25, lowering it to 7,000 from the earlier projection of over 10,000.

Wipro

Wipro’s headcount reduced by 1,157 in the December quarter of the current financial year. The company expects freshers hiring to be between 10,000-12,000 for the next financial year 2025-26 (FY26).

What Q3 headcount of Indian IT giants indicate?

Experts say IT companies are going to hire more people as there are green shoots in discretionary spending after two years.

“We are starting to see green shoots in discretionary spending. Over the past two years, these companies have been cautious with hiring, but the landscape is changing. With new projects on the horizon, there’s now a growing demand for specialized skill sets,” said Sumit Pokharna, VP of fundamental research at Kotak Securities.

Pokharna said while there is still some uncertainty surrounding US policies, the overall situation shows promise as following the US elections, political uncertainties have eased, leading to a modest increase in discretionary spending by BFSI clients. The BFSI sector remains a critical revenue driver for Indian IT companies, contributing a significant share of their business.

Experts anticipate the IT sector will benefit from stronger growth in the US and an improved outlook for the financial sector, which should contribute to better revenue and profitability.

Anil Rego, the founder and fund manager at Right Horizons, pointed out that demand for Generative AI-based solutions is anticipated to rise as these technologies offer substantial productivity benefits for clients across various industries. Cloud-related projects continue to dominate the deal pipeline.

“We believe selective opportunities with a healthy executable order book in the segment are compelling,” said Rego.

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