Big Gap in IT CEO Pay: Wipro's Top Executive Earns ₹49.6 Cr, TCS's ₹28 Cr; Infosys Tops List

Wipro Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) Srinivas Pallia received total compensation of about ₹49.6 crore in FY26, according to company annual reports. The figure is nearly double the ₹28 crore paid to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) CEO and MD K Krithivasan during the same period.

The disclosures show a sharp variation in executive pay across India’s largest IT services companies, even though TCS continued to lead the sector in revenue and profitability. Infosys CEO Salil Parekh remained the highest-paid executive among the three firms, highlighting differences in compensation structures.

IT CEO Pay Shows Wide Gap

Wipro’s Pallia saw his total compensation fall from about ₹53.6 crore in FY25 to ₹49.6 crore in FY26. The decline was mainly due to lower performance-linked payouts, even as salary and allowances increased during the year.

His package included salary and allowances of about ₹15.5 crore, commission and variable pay of around ₹9.9 crore, other benefits worth ₹23.3 crore and deferred compensation of about ₹1 crore. Wipro said stock-linked compensation and long-term benefits formed a significant part of the overall pay structure.

At TCS, CEO K Krithivasan’s remuneration rose 6.3% year-on-year (YoY) to ₹28 crore. His package included fixed pay, allowances and a large performance-linked commission component. TCS also reported that his pay was over 330 times the median employee salary at the company.

Infosys CEO Tops Pay Chart

Infosys CEO Salil Parekh emerged as the highest-paid executive in FY26 with total compensation of ₹82.6 crore, according to company disclosures. His package included fixed pay, bonuses and significant stock-linked incentives.

The gap between the three CEOs highlights the differences in pay structures across India’s IT sector, where compensation is influenced by performance-linked components, stock awards and global business exposure. While TCS remained the largest company by revenue and profit, executive remuneration varied widely across peers.

Infosys attributed a large part of Parekh’s compensation to exercised stock units and long-term incentives, reflecting its equity-linked pay structure for top management.

Overall, the disclosures underline a clear divergence in how India’s top IT firms reward leadership, even as they compete in the same global outsourcing and digital services market.