Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
At a time when AI is raising questions about the future of technology jobs, Infosys has reported a growing number of employees joining the country’s corporate crore-plus salary club. The company’s latest annual report shows that 130 India-based employees earned more than Rs 1 crore during FY26, which is about 16 per cent increase from the previous year. The figure, seen by CNBC-TV18, is the highest reported by Infosys so far and shows a steady rise in high-value compensation within the company. The increase comes even as the IT industry continues to deal with concerns around automation, changing client spending patterns, and the growing role of generative AI in software development and business operations.
advertisement
According to Infosys, the rise was largely driven by stock-based rewards that were granted in previous years and exercised during FY26. Salary revisions during the year also contributed to the higher number of crore-plus earners. The company also managed to retain a larger share of its highest-paid employees. Only 22 employees from this income bracket left the organisation during FY26. That is a much lower number compared to the combined exits seen in the previous two financial years, helping Infosys maintain and expand its pool of top earners.
The latest tally continues a trend that has emerged over the last few years. The number of employees earning more than Rs 1 crore stood at 112 in FY25 and 103 in FY24. Before FY22, the count had not crossed the 100 mark, showing how compensation at the upper end of the organisation has grown in recent years. However, the disclosed figure does not represent every employee who may have crossed the Rs 1 crore threshold during the year. The report stated that Infosys says the count only includes India-based employees who remained on the company’s rolls for the entire financial year. Employees who joined or exited during FY26 are excluded from the calculation. The compensation of the company’s ten highest-paid employees is also disclosed separately and is not included in this number.
TCS employees question salary revisions despite appraisal hikes
Besides, the developments at Infosys stand in contrast to the conversation taking place at rival TCS, where some employees recently expressed dissatisfaction over the latest appraisal cycle. Although TCS announced average salary hikes of around 5 per cent, several employees reportedly claimed that their revised compensation either showed little improvement or appeared lower than before. The concerns emerged after the company rolled out salary revisions in May.
One employee told Money Control that his salary decreased by Rs 3,000 per month even after receiving an appraisal letter. A few reported that they witnessed decrease in annual compensation between Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000. Many employees believe the changes stem from a restructuring of compensation components linked to India’s new labour codes. Some workers reportedly noticed a reduction in their displayed annual compensation after gratuity was removed from the visible Cost to Company structure, even though the benefit continues to be provided internally.
Employees previously also raised concerns regarding changes in variable pay components and performance-linked payouts. While top-rated employees reportedly received stronger increments, workers in lower performance categories claimed the salary revisions delivered limited benefits.
Responding to the criticism, TCS told India Today Tech that the revised salary structure was designed to comply with new labour regulations while standardising compensation across its India workforce. The company also maintained that employee take-home salaries were protected under the new framework and that the changes would allow greater flexibility for tax planning.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
