HCLTech CEO earned Rs 95 crore: Here are India's highest-paid IT bosses

India Today

14 hours ago

HCLTech's C Vijayakumar has become the highest-paid CEO among Indian IT firms for the financial year 2024–25.His total annual pay stood at Rs 94.6 crore. Vijayakumar, who is based in the United States, received a base salary of Rs 15.8 crore, a performance-linked bonus of Rs 13.9 crore, restricted stock units (RSUs) worth Rs 56.9 crore, and an additional bonus of Rs 1.7 crore.According to the company's annual report, Vijayakumar's pay rose 7.9% from the previous year.In comparison, the average salary increase for HCLTech employees (excluding top-level managers) was 3.1%. His total earnings were 662.5 times the median pay of the company's employees in the same period.The report also said that the HCLTech board has approved a further hike in his pay to $18.6 million, or about Rs 154 crore, for the current financial year. His new term as CEO and managing director will begin on September 1, 2025, and continue till March 31, 2030.STRONG GROWTH UNDER HIS LEADERSHIPUnder Vijayakumar's leadership, HCLTech has seen steady growth over the past nine years. From financial year 2016 to 2025, the company posted a 9.3% revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR), which was the highest among its peers. Its EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) CAGR stood at 8.1%, the second best among competitors, while its net income CAGR was 6.9%.The company also saw a sharp rise in high-value clients. The number of clients bringing in over $100 million in revenue grew from 8 in FY16 to 22 in FY25. Clients in the $50 million category increased from 19 to 52, while $20 million clients rose from 75 to 138.HCLTech credited this rise to Vijayakumar's focus on a client-first strategy, an integrated go-to-market approach, and a strong vertical-led structure. 'This approach improved client alignment, agility, and responsiveness,' the company said in its report.SALARIES OF OTHER IT CEOSWhile Vijayakumar leads the pay chart, other top IT CEOs in India have also seen healthy earnings.TCS CEO K Krithivasan earned Rs 26.5 crore for the financial year 2023–24. This marked a 4.6% increase from his previous year's pay.Infosys CEO Salil Parekh received a 22% jump in his salary, taking his total compensation to Rs 80.6 crore.Wipro's new CEO, Srinivas Pallia, who took charge in April last year, received Rs 53.6 crore in his first year. Since this was his debut year, there is no previous figure to compare.HCLTech also reported a 17.6% increase in the median pay for its employees during the financial year. HCLTech currently has 1,67,316 permanent employees. Apart from this, there are 56,104 people working with its subsidiaries.Chairperson Roshni Nadar said in the report that while the global outlook remains uncertain, the company will focus on adapting to new opportunities and staying prepared for changes, especially those driven by artificial intelligence. 'Technology evolution, driven by AI, is accelerating, and the IT services industry is at an inflection point,' she said.- Ends
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