India’s top IT services firms have reported varying hiring and attrition trends in the first quarter of FY26 so far. While the big Infosys numbers are yet to be announced, most other IT companies, as they navigate macroeconomic uncertainties and rising demand for specialised skills like artificial intelligence (AI), are recalibrating their hiring strategies. Some are delaying wage hike announcements amid concerns about the environment going forward.
Here is a look at the top IT firms—TCS, HCLTech, and Wipro—and their Q1FY26 hiring and attrition trends.
TCS adds over 6,000 employees: attrition inches up
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) reported a slight rise in attrition during the April–June quarter. The company’s attrition rate stood at 13.8 per cent on a last twelve-month (LTM) basis, up 50 basis points sequentially.
Despite the increase, TCS added around 6,071 employees, taking its total headcount to 6,13,069. The company has not yet made a decision on the wage hike.
During the post-results presser, Milind Lakkad, Chief HR Officer at TCS, said that the company will not reduce headcount due to artificial intelligence (AI). He stated, “We expect to hire as we had planned. The kind of jobs they will do is different.”
“We have honored all the job offers, and we’ll do so for the rest of the year. Lateral hiring will be recalibrated based on the demand outlook,” Lakkad added during the Q1 earnings call.
HCLTech records lowest attrition, plans to increase hiring by 15-20%
HCLTech stood out with the lowest attrition rate among the three major players. Its LTM attrition dropped to 12.8 per cent in Q1FY26, reflecting growing employee stickiness. However, the company’s total headcount stood at 2,23,151 in Q1, with a net reduction of 269 employees.
The company added 1,984 freshers during the quarter and plans to increase hiring by 15 to 20 per cent this fiscal, as per a previous report by Financial Express. HCLTech is also placing a strong focus on new-age skills.
The company said its fresher intake is no longer driven solely by volume but by specialisation. “Our fresher intake is no longer just based on numbers, it is based on skills and specialisation,” HCLTech highlighted in its post-earnings call.
To attract niche talent, it has revised compensation bands, with specialist roles earning up to 3–4 times more than regular cadres. “While the regular cadre in the India context has a base compensation of Rs 4.25 lakh, the specialist or elite category is in the range of three times higher. On the software side, it’s upwards of four times the base compensation,” the management explained.
Wipro maintains cautious stance; attrition at 15.1%
Wipro continued to operate with a cautious hiring outlook. The company’s attrition rate remained elevated at 15.1 per cent, slightly up from 15 per cent in Q4FY25. Its total workforce stood at 2,33,232, down by 114 employees during the quarter.
Chief Human Resources Officer Saurabh Govil said that the company will approach hiring based on demand, while continuing its campus recruitment efforts. However, Wipro did not provide any guidance on the number of campus hires it plans for this year.
Wipro is also ramping up its AI talent pool through both hiring and internal upskilling. “It will be a combination (of upskilling and acquiring new talent)… we’re comfortable paying a premium due to the scarcity of skilled AI professionals,” Govil added.
The IT services major is yet to decide on wage hikes. Wipro typically announces its wage revisions in October.
Tech hiring outlook: Stable but selective hiring ahead
The first quarter of FY26 showed signs of selective hiring across the top IT firms, with a mix of headcount additions and reductions. With digital transformation and AI adoption gaining pace, IT companies are rethinking their workforce strategies—balancing fresh hiring, upskilling, and selective lateral additions.