Infosys to Recruit 20,000 Freshers Amid TCS’s 12,000-Job Cut in AI Transition

Infosys Defies Industry Trend with Hiring Plans Amidst Widespread Tech Layoffs

In stark contrast to the ongoing trend of layoffs and workforce restructuring across the IT industry, Infosys has announced its plan to hire 20,000 fresh graduates in 2025. This move, unveiled by Infosys CEO Salil Parekh, showcases a bold and optimistic strategy during a period when many technology giants, including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), HCLTech, Microsoft, IBM, and Intel, are cutting thousands of jobs as part of restructuring and efficiency drives triggered largely by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation.

While TCS is slashing around 2% of its global workforce—impacting nearly 12,000 employees—and HCLTech is also expected to initiate job cuts, Infosys is choosing a completely different route. Salil Parekh emphasized that Infosys is not scaling down but scaling up, driven by a firm belief in the long-term potential of AI. He described the hiring initiative as a “deliberate investment” to prepare the company for the future of AI-driven services.

Infosys’s hiring strategy is closely tied to its commitment to building AI capabilities. Parekh revealed that 2.75 lakh (275,000) employees at Infosys have already been trained in AI and associated disciplines. The goal is to equip the workforce with the skills necessary to meet evolving client expectations in an increasingly tech-driven market. According to Parekh, the company has achieved high utilization levels, and every new recruit is being trained and deployed on live projects, reinforcing Infosys’s AI-first approach.

This proactive stance creates a sharp contrast with rivals like TCS, which is trimming its workforce to stay lean and responsive. Infosys, instead, is betting big on talent and upskilling, with no immediate plans for layoffs or restructuring. The company believes that AI presents an opportunity for efficiency and transformation, rather than a threat to employment.

The IT industry as a whole is currently under significant stress. Companies are trimming costs, and AI-led automation is fundamentally changing workflows and roles. Many firms view "future-readiness" as a justification for headcount reduction. However, Infosys is bucking the trend by focusing on growth through internal transformation rather than contraction.

According to internal assessments, Infosys expects AI to bring a 5% to 15% productivity boost in software development and up to a 20% increase in efficiency for its Finacle core banking platform. These numbers reinforce the company’s belief that AI should be leveraged to empower, not replace, its workforce.

Infosys’s approach is notably contrarian and comes across as a positive surprise in an otherwise challenging industry landscape. By investing in skills and workforce development instead of engaging in mass layoffs, Infosys is taking a longer-term view of sustainability and competitiveness. The company’s vision reflects confidence in AI’s role as a tool for transformation and growth, rather than simply as a means of cutting costs. While the broader industry continues to shed jobs, Infosys is planting seeds for future innovation—through people.