Software major Infosys is in the process of laying off 400 trainees at its Mysuru campus after they failed evaluation tests in three consecutive attempts, according to sources familiar with the matter.
This is approximately half of the trainees onboarded in October 2024.
As it happens, the trainees were onboarded after a two-and-a-half-year-long wait, necessitated by a macroeconomic slowdown triggering clients of IT companies to halt spending on projects.
"At Infosys, we have a rigorous hiring process where all freshers, after undergoing extensive foundational training at our Mysuru campus, are expected to clear internal assessments. All freshers get three attempts to clear the assessment, failing which they will not be able to continue with the organisation, as is also mentioned in their contract. This process has been in existence for over two decades and ensures a high quality of talent availability for our clients," Infosys said in a statement.
Trainees are being called in batches of around 50 and are being made to sign "mutual separation" letters, sources familiar with the matter told Moneycontrol.
"This is unjustified because the tests were very tough and made to fail us, many trainees have fainted as the future looks bleak now," a trainee told Moneycontrol who was terminated.
Sources say the company has deployed bouncers and security personnel to ensure that the trainees do not carry mobile phones. However, Infosys clarified that bouncers were not deployed.
Trainees have been asked to vacate the premises by 6 PM, the sources said.
Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) said it is filing an official complaint with the Ministry of Labour & Employment, demanding immediate intervention and strict action against Infosys.
“This blatant corporate exploitation cannot be allowed to continue, and we urge the government to take swift action to uphold the rights and dignity of Indian IT workers,” Harpreet Singh Saluja of NITES said in a statement.
The said trainees were recruited in the role of System Engineers (SE) and Digital Specialist Engineers (DSE).
India’s second-largest software exporter sent offer letters back in 2022 but did not on-board the candidates after the IT industry faced a slump. This phenomenon, however, is an industry-wide issue. Fears of a looming recession in IT companies' major markets and the absence of discretionary spending led companies to pause hiring, leading to a multi-decadal decline in headcount.
On September 3, Infosys sent letters with joining dates to approximately 1,000 freshers from 2022 campus hires, just a day after it issued a similar number of letters.
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