Information technology (IT) giant Infosys has introduced a new ‘power programme’ as part of its campus placement drive, offering freshers salaries of up to Rs 9 lakh per annum, reported The Economic Times quoting sources.
This is significantly higher in comparison to the typical entry-level packages of Rs 3-3.5 lakh provided by the company.
The differential hiring approach focuses on specialised skills such as coding, software development, and programming.
Under the programme, Infosys offers salaries ranging from Rs 4-6.5 lakh to as high as Rs 9 lakh, depending on the candidate’s skill level.
This move is seen as Infosys’ response to rival Tata Consultancy Services’ (TCS) ‘Prime’ programme, which recruits freshers for software development roles with packages between Rs 9-11 lakh per annum.
TCS has also expanded its ‘Prime’ programme to include roles in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), generative AI (GenAI), and machine learning (ML).
TCS now recruits freshers under three categories: ‘Ninja’ with packages around Rs 3.6 lakh, ‘Digital’ at Rs 7.5 lakh, and ‘Prime’.
Both Infosys and TCS have increased their focus on hiring specialized talent as demand grows for skills in cloud computing, AI/ML, and cybersecurity, driven by digital transformation projects.
Despite a subdued macro environment, Infosys plans to hire between 15,000 and 20,000 graduates in FY25, while TCS aims to recruit 40,000 freshers, maintaining last year’s numbers.
Amid a slowdown in the $250-billion technology services sector, which resulted in a reduction of over 70,000 employees across India’s top five IT companies in FY24, Infosys and TCS are ramping up hiring after a period of downsizing.
TCS, for example, added 5,452 employees in the June quarter after reporting a net reduction in headcount for three consecutive quarters, including a 13,249 drop in FY24.
Infosys, on the other hand, saw its headcount decrease by nearly 2,000 in the first quarter of FY25, bringing its total employee base to 315,332.
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Infosys has resumed both campus and off-campus fresher hiring, joining other top IT firms such as HCLTech and Wipro in bolstering their workforce.
HCLTech plans to recruit 10,000 freshers in FY25, while Wipro is targeting up to 12,000 hires.
Collectively, the top four IT companies are expected to add approximately 82,000 freshers this fiscal year.
