Infosys Plans to Hire 20,000 Freshers in FY27 Even as Quarterly Headcount Dips

Infosys has said it plans to hire at least 20,000 fresh graduates in the financial year 2026-27, keeping its recruitment target steady even as the company's total headcount fell during the January-March quarter.

The company's Chief Financial Officer, Jayesh Sanghrajka, confirmed the hiring commitment, saying Infosys had already brought in more than 20,000 freshers from the market in FY26 and intended to do the same in the year ahead. "Last year, we had announced 20,000 for FY 2026, and we have hired more than 20,000 freshers from the market. This year also, we are expecting at least 20,000 freshers to be hired," he said.

The announcement comes even as Infosys reported a drop in its total workforce. The company's headcount fell by 8,440 in the March quarter to 3,28,594, ending a run of six straight quarters of workforce growth. Sanghrajka said the dip was seasonal and linked to softer business volumes, not a change in the company's hiring prospect.

"Headcount is a function of utilisation and the volumes we see. This quarter the volumes were softer, plus the freshers in the system had to be accounted for," he said. On a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the workforce is still up by around 5,000 people, he added.

Quarterly Results Miss Estimates

Brokerage firm JM Financial said Infosys's fourth quarter FY26 results came in below expectations. Revenue stood at USD 5,040 million, a decline of 1.2% from the previous quarter and 1.3% in constant currency terms, worse than JM Financial's own estimate of a 0.5% decline.

Operating margins came in at 20.9%, below JM Financial and broader market estimates of around 21.2-21.3%. Net profit, however, beat the brokerage's estimates at ₹85.1 billion, partly aided by a tax reversal of ₹7.7 billion.

For the year ahead, Infosys has guided for revenue growth of 1.5% to 3.5% in constant currency terms, a range that brokerage firm JM Financial noted was slightly below their own forecast of 2-4%. The company said the lower end of its guidance factors in a worsening demand environment, while the upper end assumes conditions improve. A large European manufacturing client and a change in the onsite work mix are expected to weigh on growth by around 75-100 basis points.

Margin guidance for FY27 was kept at 20-22%, in line with expectations, though acquisitions could create an additional headwind of around 70 basis points.

JM Financial maintained its Buy rating on the stock with a revised target price of ₹1,500, calling Infosys its preferred pick among the top six Indian IT companies given its strong deal wins.