Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced plans to recruit approximately 40,000 fresh graduates in the fiscal year 2025–26, continuing its aggressive campus hiring strategy to support AI-driven digital transformation across its global operations
Why TCS Is Hiring Large Numbers of Freshers
1. Building AI Skills at Entry Level
CHRO Milind Lakkad confirmed that TCS expects freshers—and even entry-level associates (E0)—to have foundational AI skills, particularly in large language models and GenAI tools. Higher tiers (E3 and above) are expected to demonstrate advanced AI capabilities
2. Aligning Hiring with Business Growth
With an optimistic outlook fueled by a robust deal pipeline, TCS aims to meet demand by onboarding fresh talent. This plan is consistent with FY25 where it targeted a similar intake of 40,000 freshers
3. Reducing Dependence on External Labor
TCS is consciously lowering reliance on H‑1B visa holders and increasing local hiring across geographies, strengthening its global workforce model while managing costs
📊 TCS Workforce Snapshot & Trends
- Employee Strength: Around 608,000 associates as of March 2025
- Q2 FY25 Additions: Approximately 5,726 net hires, followed by modest quarterly growth overall
- Shifting Hiring Strategy: Focus is moving from mass fresher recruitment to a balance with lateral hiring for domain experts in AI, cloud, and cybersecurity, reflecting demand trends
✅ Strategic Implications
- Upskilling for Future Client Needs: TCS’s training ecosystem (via internal platforms like Elevate Runway and in-campus programs) ensures freshers quickly become deployment-ready.
- Mitigating Workforce Shocks: Even amidst net headcount reductions in some quarters, the overall policy compensates through reskilling, bench management, and strategic hiring.
- Industry Leadership in Talent Pipeline: Amid broader IT sector consolidation and cautious freshers hiring, TCS’s scale offers competitive advantage for long-term growth.
🚩 Challenges & Caveats
- Delayed Onboarding for Experienced Hires: Recent delays onboarding around 650 lateral hires and over 100 professionals have raised concerns, though TCS assures all offer letters will be honored as business needs align
- Shift Toward Specialist Roles: While fresher numbers remain high, net workforce additions have slowed, with emphasis shifting to domain expertise hires as automation increases The Times of India.
💡 What Fresh Graduates Need to Know
- Applications typically begin through campus drives and TCS iON/NQT portal, with selection including online assessment, technical interview, and HR evaluation.
- Training programs will focus heavily on AI, machine learning, and digital consulting tools.
- TCS’s approach aims not just for scale, but to ensure relevance of skills in evolving service delivery.
