India’s tech industry is facing a turbulent 2025 as layoffs surge and hiring pipelines shrink. The latest shock comes from Tata Consultancy Services, which just dropped a bombshell—12,000 job cuts.
It’s not just a company decision. It’s a signal. The world’s third-biggest tech layoff this year, and the biggest in India so far, is sending ripples through campuses, boardrooms, and job boards alike.
TCS Becomes Latest Giant to Cut Deep
TCS has officially joined the ranks of global tech titans making steep cuts in 2025. Intel and Microsoft were the first to fire the big shots, cutting 24,000 and 15,300 jobs respectively. Now, TCS has joined in—trimming about 2% of its workforce.
That’s not a light move for a company with nearly 600,000 employees.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Midway through the financial year, TCS had already pledged to hire 42,000 freshers in FY26. Yet here they are, handing pink slips to mid-to-senior level staff. The contradiction isn’t lost on anyone.
Sources close to the matter hint that the layoffs are not just about cutting costs, but about realigning talent for AI. The new mantra? Fewer people, more machines.
July Was Brutal. And August Might Not Be Better.
Just one look at the data paints a grim picture. Trueup.io reports that as of August 4, 2025:
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441 tech companies have laid off 131,417 employees
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That averages out to 608 job losses per day
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July 2025 was the hardest month yet, with 46,356 people impacted
To put this in perspective, 2024 saw 1,115 companies lay off 238,461 employees, averaging 653 per day. We’re already more than halfway to that number—and it’s only August.
In fact, if current trends continue, 2025 might surpass 2024 in total layoffs before Q4 even begins.
Campus Hiring Slows to a Crawl
For students dreaming of IT careers, 2025 might feel like a dry season. And they’re not wrong to worry.
Shruti Swaroop from Embrace Consulting puts it bluntly—campus recruitment levels are way below pre-2023 numbers. “Campus positions from IT companies fell by almost 35% in FY24,” she said. The decline is expected to stretch into FY25 and even FY26.
This isn’t just about layoffs. Big names like Infosys, Wipro, and TCS have moved to a “just-in-time” recruitment model. They’re no longer visiting colleges in droves. No large-scale drives. No early offers. Only need-based hiring.
Infosys is the outlier here. It still plans to hire 20,000 freshers in FY26. But if you look closer, even their Q1FY26 hiring pace has slowed.
Here’s how top IT firms are moving:
| Company | Layoffs (2025) | Fresher Hiring (FY26) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCS | 12,000 | 42,000 | Layoffs at mid-to-senior level |
| Infosys | None officially | 20,000 | Slowdown in Q1FY26 hiring |
| HCL Tech | Signaled cuts | Not disclosed | Hiring freeze signals |
| Wipro | “Just-in-time” | Not disclosed | No large-scale recruitment drives |
That’s not encouraging. And students in tier-2 and tier-3 colleges are feeling it the most.
AI Is Reshaping Hiring — But Not Everyone’s Ready
One reason for the layoffs and cautious hiring? The tech stack is evolving. Fast.
AI isn’t just changing products—it’s changing people requirements. Teams are shrinking, but expectations are rising. Companies now want multi-skilled engineers who can code, build AI models, manage cloud infra, and still write clean documentation.
Basically: 3 jobs for the price of one.
Dr Neelesh Gupta from Deloitte India offers a silver lining—campus hiring isn’t dying, it’s transforming. In a recent report, he said the new era will prioritize skill alignment, early engagement, and purpose-driven careers.
That means students need to move beyond degrees. Companies will look for:
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Proof of learning: Hackathons, bootcamps, live projects
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AI and ML skills (basic to advanced)
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Adaptability and cross-functional capabilities
Companies aren’t just hiring coders anymore. They want learners who can evolve with tech.
So, Is There Any Hope for Students in 2025?
Short answer? Yes, but don’t count on the old playbook.
The job market for freshers isn’t completely frozen—but it’s no longer predictable either. Placements have become highly segmented. Top-tier colleges are still landing offers, especially in niche roles like data engineering and cybersecurity. But mass-hiring, the kind that built careers for lakhs of engineers each year? That’s disappearing.
And it’s not coming back anytime soon.
One final thing worth noting — many companies are investing in internal upskilling instead of external hiring. That could mean fewer jobs, but better ones—if you’re ready for them.
