Infosys hires 12,000 graduates in six months as profit climbs 13%

Infosys said this week that it hired 12,000 entry-level employees in the first half of its 2026 fiscal year, putting the Indian technology services company on pace to meet its goal of recruiting 20,000 fresh graduates by March.

The announcement came as the company reported a 13.2 percent increase in quarterly net profit, signaling growing confidence even as some rivals tighten staffing.

At its second-quarter earnings briefing, Jayesh Sanghrajka, the chief financial officer, said Infosys added a net 8,203 employees in the three months through September, marking its fifth straight quarter of headcount growth. Total headcount stood at 331,991 at the end of the period. Attrition edged down to 14.3 percent over the past 12 months, from 14.4 percent in the previous quarter.

“In the beginning of the year, we were aiming for 15,000 to 20,000 freshers,” Sanghrajka said. “But in the first half itself we have hired about 12,000 freshers. So, we are now on track to hire a total of 20,000 freshers this year.”

Infosys’s hiring push contrasts sharply with Tata Consultancy Services, India’s largest software exporter, which recently announced a 2 percent reduction in its workforce as it adjusts to shifts in client demand and reskilling gaps. HCLTech, another rival, hired 7,180 freshers during the same period.

The upbeat tone reflects momentum in cloud and artificial intelligence services, areas where clients are beginning to ramp up investments after several quarters of caution. In July, Chief Executive Salil Parekh said the company aimed to hire 20,000 fresh graduates this fiscal year after adding 17,000 employees in the first quarter.

For the quarter ended Sept. 30, Infosys reported consolidated net profit of 7,364 crore rupees ($884 million). Revenue rose 8.6 percent to 44,490 crore rupees, also topping expectations. Operating margin held steady at 21 percent, slightly below analysts’ forecast of 21.3 percent.