Wipro’s headcount was almost flat sequentially (0.56%) in the fiscal fourth quarter, growing by 135 over the December quarter to 242,156 (Q3: 242,021). For the full fiscal, headcount grew 8,810 (FY25: 233,346), registering a growth of 3.78%.
Late last week, market leader Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in its Q4 earnings disclosures said it added 2,356 employees in the January–March quarter, reversing declines seen in the previous two quarters and taking total headcount to 584,519 (Q3: 582,163). However, the full-year trend still reflected workforce contraction as the company shifts towards an AI-led operating model.
Voluntary attrition at 13.8% was at a 20-quarter low, the company said (Q3: 14.2% and FY25: 15%).
Record Low Attrition
Wipro added 7,500 freshers in the full fiscal, in line with the guidance given last quarter. More than 3,000 of these freshers were onboarded in Q4.
“For next fiscal, we do not have any targets right now, it depends completely on demand. (It is a) very volatile environment right now. So, we will play it by the ear. As the demand picks up, we’ll see how it goes,” Saurabh Govil, chief human resources officer at Wipro said.
He added that overall hiring will be driven by business deals in the current Wipro’s commentary on fresher hiring is in line with TCS’ stance on hiring strategies being guided by demand visibility and not bench strength.
Net utilisation at Wipro for Q4 was 83.5%, up 40 basis points from 83.1% in Q3. For the full fiscal, net utilisation was 84.5%, as compared to 85.6% at the end of FY25.
On the volatility in appraisal cycles, Govil said that while there is disappointment to an extent, employee morale has not been adversely impacted. Wipro announced increments last month.
AI Evolution
He also said that the delinkage of revenue growth and headcount for Indian IT companies is continuing trend, as delivery models evolve with the emergence of AI.
“The shift is for real, and we must not shy away from saying that. Our campus intake over the past four years has gradually been coming down. That is the reality. We are seeing more revenue come in, over time not immediately, (from) less FT intensive (work). How it plays out, we will have to see,” Govil said.
Wipro onboarded 19,000 freshers in FY22, which then dropped to around 10,000 in FY25, and finally 7,500 in FY26.
On the sexual harassment case at TCS’ Nashik campus, and its fallout, Govil said that Wipro has strict guidelines and policies in place which are reviewed every six months.