In a shock move signaling a transformational shift, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has confirmed plans to reduce its global workforce by over 12,000 employees, representing roughly 2% of its staff. This marks the company’s biggest layoff ever, scheduled to take place through the 2026 financial year
Reasons Behind the Workforce Reduction
> Skill Mismatch, Not AI Displacement
TCS CEO K. Krithivasan emphasized that the cuts stem from a growing mismatch between existing skill sets and emerging business needs, rather than AI automation replacing jobs. The company’s shift from legacy “waterfall” models to product-centric, agile delivery has reduced demand for traditional middle/senior management roles.
> Macro‑Economic Headwinds & Client Budget Pressure
Rising global economic uncertainty, delayed project starts, and weaker discretionary IT spending have contributed to muted demand. TCS aims to streamline costs and maintain competitiveness amid broader industry headwinds
Who Is Impacted—and What It Signals
Middle and senior managers are majority targets, with some junior employees on extended bench periods also affected
Industry leaders, including former Tech Mahindra CEO C.P. Gurnani, interpret this as an end to the traditional “Sholay era” of valuing workforce size—instead, firms now prioritize output and AI‑driven performance metrics
Employee Support & Company Response
TCS asserts that layoffs will be conducted “in a very, very compassionate way,” offering:
Severance and notice‑period pay
Extended health insurance
Mental health counselling and outplacement services
- Nevertheless, IT employee unions are urging caution. Groups like the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union and FITE warn against undue pressure to resign and emphasize preserving legal rights—urging employees to preserve documentation and explore labor support if needed
Market Reaction & Strategic Implications
TCS shares fell approximately 1.6–1.7%, dragging peers Infosys, Wipro, and others down up to 3%. The Nifty IT index also saw declines, reflecting broader investor concerns in a muted growth environment
Financial analysts at Jefferies warn of potential morale dips and execution delays, and a possible long-term increase in attrition, noting this is the company’s third major cost‑cutting measure in three months
What This Means for India’s IT Industry
With global IT firms already executing widescale layoffs, TCS’s decision underscores that India’s IT sector is undergoing a structural transformation.
The shift highlights the urgency of continuous upskilling, adaptability to AI-infused work models, and readiness for outcome-based performance frameworks.
Benchmark data shows TCS had around 613,000 employees as of early 2025, reinforcing the scale and rarity of this mass retrenchment in what has been viewed as a traditionally stable employment model.
- TCS’s decision to lay off over 12,000 employees—across critical leadership levels—is a defining moment in Indian IT. It symbolizes a shift from scale to skill, transformation over status quo, and signals a new era where agility, AI fluency, and delivery-oriented models drive corporate India forward. While executive leadership frames the move as future‑readiness, the industry must now grapple with how effectively it can realign talent, support affected staff, and chart a new growth trajectory.
