No layoffs, only hiring: Infosys CEO says company will continue fresher hiring despite AI shift
Infosys is taking a different path from peers by avoiding layoffs and continuing to hire around 20,000 freshers, even as AI reshapes the IT industry. CEO Salil Parekh emphasized that AI is transforming roles rather than eliminating jobs, with the company focusing on reskilling employees and integrating AI into workflows. As competitors restructure and cut costs, Infosys is positioning AI as a growth driver already contributing over 5% to revenue while betting on talent development and long-term workforce expansion.
At a time when several major IT companies are reducing headcount amid automation and artificial intelligence-led restructuring, Infosys has said it does not plan to conduct layoffs and will continue hiring aggressively.
Infosys CEO and Managing Director Salil Parekh said the company has not carried out layoffs in the last year and does not foresee any such move in the near future, even as AI continues to reshape the IT services industry.
“We have not done any layoffs in the last year and we don’t see anything of that sort coming up,” Parekh said in an interview, pushing back against concerns that AI adoption will automatically lead to workforce cuts.
Infosys to hire 20,000 freshers
Instead of cutting jobs, Infosys is continuing its campus hiring push and plans to onboard around 20,000 fresh graduates this year, maintaining a strategy similar to previous hiring cycles.
The move comes as rivals such as Tata Consultancy Services, Cognizant and Oracle Corporation have either announced or reportedly planned workforce reductions in response to changing business priorities and AI-led efficiency measures.
AI is changing jobs, not eliminating them: CEO
Parekh said AI is transforming the nature of work rather than reducing the need for engineers.
According to him, Infosys is training employees to work both with traditional development methods and AI-assisted tools, enabling them to understand, validate and improve AI-generated code. He added that deeper subject matter expertise is becoming increasingly valuable as routine coding work becomes more automated.
Infosys is also expanding its AI capabilities through partnerships with companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic, while scaling internal AI platforms including Topaz Fabric.
AI already contributing to business growth
The company said AI is already contributing meaningfully to its business. Parekh noted that AI currently accounts for around 5.5 per cent of Infosys’ revenue and is growing rapidly, positioning it as a key business driver in the coming years.
Different approach amid industry-wide restructuring
Infosys’ hiring-focused strategy stands out amid broader uncertainty in the IT sector. Industry peers have increasingly turned to restructuring, workforce optimisation and automation to manage costs and improve efficiency.
While the company’s headcount has fluctuated in recent quarters, Infosys has maintained that its long-term strategy remains focused on hiring, reskilling and adapting talent for an AI-driven future rather than reducing workforce size through layoffs.
The company’s position suggests a different reading of AI disruption: not as an immediate threat to employment, but as a catalyst for changing how engineers work and what skills will be valued most.
