Top 5 IT giants trim 2,500 jobs in Q3FY25 after strong hiring surge

The latest report on India's top IT firms reveals that during the third quarter of FY25 (Q3FY25), the combined employee count of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, HCLTech, Wipro, and Tech Mahindra decreased by 2,587, following a strong hiring quarter in Q2FY25. The reduction is largely attributed to the seasonally weak period, marked by furloughs and reduced hiring, typical for this time of year. Notably, TCS, Wipro, and Tech Mahindra saw a loss in employee numbers, while HCLTech and Infosys expanded their workforce in Q3. Despite this setback, these companies added over 10,000 employees in the first nine months of FY25, signaling a cautious revival after a significant reduction in headcount during the same period in FY24. This marks a shift towards renewed hiring after two years of slowdown, with an emphasis on freshers and lateral entries.

Infosys has plans to onboard 20,000 freshers in FY26, while Wipro aims for around 10,000-12,000. HCLTech has reduced its fresher hiring target for FY25, focusing more on productivity and lower attrition rates. These changes reflect cautious optimism within the sector, with hiring scaling back in some cases but still showing positive demand signals for the near future.