Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is facing backlash after allegedly failing to attend a scheduled meeting with the Chief Labour Commissioner in New Delhi, arranged to address concerns over its recent decision to lay off 2% of its global workforce, or about 12,000 employees.
The Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), a tech employees’ union, had filed a complaint accusing TCS of bypassing due process and dressing up mass terminations using terms like “AI transition” and “workforce realignment.” According to NITES, the company’s email-only response and absence from the meeting signal corporate apathy.
The union claims that such layoffs without prior government notification may breach Indian labour laws, particularly in cases involving large-scale terminations. “This isn’t workforce restructuring — it’s corporate downsizing under a tech disguise,” NITES stated.
Experts see the move as part of a broader industry pivot from bulk hiring to a skills-focused approach, prioritising expertise in areas such as GenAI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data engineering.
Despite the sector adding 3.5 lakh jobs since FY2022, the top four IT giants — TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and HCLTech — have together cut over 42,000 jobs. While Infosys plans to onboard 20,000 freshers in 2025, TCS is drawing attention for deferring fresh hires and implementing cost-cutting measures — including a 7% reduction in travel and facility expenses.
NITES has urged the Labour Ministry to take stricter action to ensure fair employment practices across India’s IT landscape.