Infosys commits to hiring 20,000 graduates amid industry-wide layoffs and uncertainty.
As turbulence rocks the Indian IT sector with major player Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announcing over 12,000 layoffs, Infosys is taking a decisively different tack. Refusing to bow to headwinds, India's second-largest IT firm is solidifying its commitment to growth, jobs and technology.
Infosys has set a bold course for 2025 -- recruiting 20,000 freshers and deepening investments in AI-led reskilling.
20,000 New Jobs
CEO Salil Parekh underscored that Infosys is not contemplating 'any job cuts' even as other industry giants trim staff.
The hiring scale is in line with the company's long-term strategy and signals faith in India's talent pipeline despite cyclical disruptions.
'Our hiring numbers remain robust. We have already recruited more than 17,000 in the first quarter and plan to bring in about 20,000 fresh graduates this year,' Parekh told The Times of India.
Bold AI reskilling: From workforce to enterprise
Infosys' approach is not just about increasing headcount. At the heart of the plan lies a sweeping transformation -- leveraging AI to shape both business offerings and employee skillsets.
The IT major has already trained more than 275,000 employees across various levels in AI, cloud and digital technologies, making its workforce one of the most AI-aware in the country.
'AI enables deeper automation and sharper insights but also demands more advanced, higher-level skills,' Parekh noted.
Infosys has invested heavily in proprietary AI agents, tools and a network of smaller language models designed to support client businesses in complex domains like banking and digital enterprise.
Infosys's AI push is more than just a technology upgrade -- it is a commitment to ongoing learning and agility.
The company is building 'AI foundries and factories' to embed AI into enterprise processes and transfer value directly to business solutions.
According to Infosys, 95 per cent of its workforce has received tailored AI awareness training, with employees reskilled based on their specific roles and client needs.
Human-in-the-loop: Productivity up, people still central
While automation is fast improving productivity -- software development is reportedly 5 to 15 per cent more productive and banking solutions like Infosys Finacle are achieving up to 20 per cent gains -- the company insists that human oversight remains irreplaceable.
AI enables scale but the final sign-off and system integration tasks require skilled human input, particularly in core industries where error margins are narrow and stakes are high.
Infosys illustrates how technological progress and job creation can reinforce one another. Even as bots and smart automation take on routine work, freshers are being hired and reskilled for higher-value, knowledge-driven positions.
Sector contrasts: Infosys's freshers-first model
The scale of Infosys's hiring stands out as most large IT services firms remain cautious.
Rival TCS' layoff of more than 12,000 employees and ongoing 'workforce rationalisation' across the sector have sparked concerns about job security and entry-level prospects.
Yet, Infosys' leadership asserts that it is precisely these investments -- both in fresh talent and intensive upskilling -- that position the company well for digital transformation projects and large deal wins.
This training and recruitment discipline also reassures clients, particularly large organisations looking for long-term partners who can scale up and deploy teams conversant in new technology stacks.
Facing economic headwinds with talent and technology
Despite a period of modest industry growth and increased client demands for agility, Infosys has not only maintained its existing wage cycle and employment numbers but is also actively evaluating future rounds of salary hikes.
Company leaders reiterate that technology-led upskilling coupled with recruitment is fueling resilience and credible execution in difficult times.
'AI is at the core of how we see our people and our services adapting to future client needs,' said Parekh.
Looking ahead: Strategic bets on the 'AI-First' enterprise
As Indian tech firms double down on integrating AI across every business layer, Infosys's bet is clear: Long-term investments in both people and technology are necessary to thrive in a fast-evolving sector.
By fusing aggressive hiring with continuous AI upskilling, Infosys positions itself as an employer of choice -- offering opportunities for young graduates to launch and build careers in a future-facing IT landscape.
In a sector coping with layoffs, automation anxieties, and shifting global expectations, Infosys's strategy provides a rare note of optimism, signalling that tech progress and job creation can advance hand in hand.
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