Infosys To Offer Freshers Salaries Up To Rs 9 Lakh Annually: Report

This initiative is viewed as Infosys' strategic counter to TCS 'Prime' programme, which provides fresh graduates with software development roles offering annual packages between Rs 9 to 11 lakh

Infosys, the major player in the information technology sector, has launched a new 'power programme' as part of its campus placement drive, offering starting salaries of up to Rs 9 lakh per annum for fresh graduates, according to a report by The Economic Times.

This new offering represents a substantial increase compared to the company’s usual entry-level packages, which typically range from Rs 3 to 3.5 lakh. This differentiated hiring strategy stresses specialised coding, software development, and programming skills.

Through its new programme, Infosys offers salaries ranging from Rs 4-6.5 lakh, with the potential to reach up to Rs 9 lakh, based on the candidate's skills and expertise.

This initiative is viewed as Infosys' strategic counter to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) 'Prime' programme, which provides fresh graduates with software development roles offering annual packages between Rs 9 to 11 lakh.

TCS has also expanded its 'Prime' programme to include positions in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), generative AI (GenAI), and machine learning (ML). TCS now recruits fresh graduates under three tiers: 'Ninja' with salaries around Rs 3.6 lakh, 'Digital' at Rs 7.5 lakh, and 'Prime.'

Infosys and TCS are intensifying their recruitment efforts to attract specialised talent, responding to the growing demand for expertise in cloud computing, AI/ML, and cybersecurity driven by digital transformation.

Meanwhile, despite a challenging macroeconomic environment, Infosys plans to hire between 15,000 and 20,000 graduates for FY25, while TCS intends to recruit 40,000 freshers, maintaining its hiring levels from the previous year.

Amid a slowdown in the technology services sector, which led to the loss of over 70,000 jobs across India's top five IT companies in FY24, Infosys and TCS are increasing their hiring efforts after a period of reductions.

TCS added 5,452 employees in the June quarter following three consecutive quarters of net headcount reductions, including a notable decrease of 13,249 employees in FY24. Conversely, Infosys experienced a reduction of nearly 2,000 employees in the first quarter of FY25, bringing its total workforce to 315,332.

Infosys has resumed hiring both campus and off-campus freshers, aligning with other major IT firms like HCLTech and Wipro, which are also expanding their workforce. HCLTech plans to recruit 10,000 freshers in FY25, while Wipro aims to hire up to 12,000.

The top four IT companies are expected to add around 82,000 freshers this fiscal year.