TCS HR head denies reports of 80,000 layoffs, says only 1% of staff released in restructuring

TCS

Tata Consultancy Services has denied reports that it laid off 50,000 to 80,000 employees, calling the numbers “extremely exaggerated.” The company’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Sudeep Kunnumal told Mint that TCS has released only about 1% of its workforce which is roughly around 6,000 employees as part of a restructuring exercise.

Speaking to Mint, Kunnumal said the releases mainly involved mid- and senior-level employees who could not be redeployed in suitable roles. “As we speak today, we are close to one per cent of people that we have released in mid and senior levels,” he said. He emphasized that the company is not chasing a target for the restructuring and urged people to disregard the higher figures circulating online.

The HR chief specifically addressed claims suggesting TCS had laid off between 50,000 and 80,000 people. “A lot of these numbers are not factual, are extremely exaggerated, and should be disregarded,” Kunnumal said.

At the same time, TCS continues to hire aggressively. The company onboarded 18,500 new employees in the July to September quarter, with all offers honoured. Kunnumal said the company will continue hiring based on market demand, without committing to a fixed number for the 2025-26 fiscal year. “We will try to bring the best of the talent for our organisation to shape the journey,” he added.

According to the IT workers’ union, Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), TCS’s headcount fell from 613,069 in the first quarter of FY 2025-26 to 593,314 in the second quarter, representing a net reduction of 19,755 employees. The union’s numbers, however, do not align with TCS’s official statement, which frames the reduction as part of normal restructuring and redeployment.

On the compensation front, Kunnumal said TCS plans to continue paying full quarterly bonuses to junior-level staff and higher variable bonuses for senior employees, based on individual and unit performance. “Basically, it covers all the people who have been with our organisation who are entitled for the quarterly bonus,” he said.