Overview

• In the September quarter, TCS reduced headcount by 19,755, taking its workforce to 593,314 and below the 600,000 mark for the first time since 2022.
• The company set aside Rs 11.35 billion for severance and signaled profit pressure from one-off costs tied to the downsizing.
• TCS’s HR chief said the restructuring targets mid- and senior-level roles due to a skill–capability mismatch, with the firm about halfway to a planned 2% reduction by March 2026.
• Across Indian IT, companies are using performance-linked exits, PIPs, and non-renewals to quietly eliminate roles, with projections of 50,000–60,000 reductions in 2025 and mid-management most exposed.
• Accenture’s $865 million optimization included 11,000 global job cuts this summer, and U.S. policy uncertainty is reinforcing cost controls and localisation strategies among major providers.