TCS top executives annual increment plunges by over 50% in 5 years

The top executives of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) have witnessed a more than 50% drop in annual increments over the past five years. The average increase in remuneration of the C-Suite plunged from 55.22% in fiscal year 2021 to 4.6% in fiscal year 2025.

In FY2021, TCS had increased the remuneration of its key managerial personnel, including positions like Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (CEO & MD), Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director (COO & ED), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and the Company Secretary (CS), by 55.22%.

The pay package (including salary, benefits, prerequisites & allowances, and commission) of TCS's then CEO & MD, Rajesh Gopinathan, stood at Rs 20.36 crore in FY21, while COO & ED N Ganapathy Subramaniam's stood at Rs 16.10 crore.

In the subsequent fiscal years, the percentage increase in the annual raise of the CXOs plummeted to 27.38% (FY2022) and 13.17% (FY2023). The remuneration of Gopianathan stood at Rs 29.16 crore, while Subramaniam's was Rs 23.6 crore in FY23.

However, TCS underwent a significant leadership rejig in fiscal 2024, appointing K Krithivasan as the company's new MD & CEO. As part of this transition, Subramaniam's salary increased 8.2% to Rs 26.18 crore.

Gopinathan retired in FY25, and Krithivasan's pay package rose 4.6% to Rs 26.5 crore, up from Rs 25.35 crore in the previous fiscal year.

According to the annual report of the company, the median remunerative of TCS' five senior executives stood at Rs 7.7 crore in FY25.

In contrast, the average increment of TCS' other employees has remained stagnant between 5-8% over the past few years, with top performers receiving double-digit hikes and promotions.

The median remuneration of male employees was Rs 16.7 lakh, while that of female workforce at Rs 10.6 lakh. According to the company, the remuneration is the same for men and women working full-time, in the same grade, in the same role, at the same location, and with the same level of experience. However, it clarified that the gaps in median salary between genders are due to " different proportions of men and women across experience levels and grades". TCS' overall employee count stood at 607,979 as of 31 March 2025.