
TCS to cut 2% of workforce, affecting around 12,000 jobs
'TCS is on a journey to become a future-ready organisation… As part of this journey, we will also be releasing associates from the organisation whose deployment may not be feasible. This will impact about 2% of our global workforce, primarily in the middle and the senior grades, over the course of the year,' the IT giant said in a statement to ET. 'This transition is being planned with due care to ensure there is no impact on service delivery to our clients… We understand that this is a challenging time for our colleagues likely to be affected. We thank them for their service and we will be making all efforts to provide appropriate benefits, outplacement, counselling, and support as they transition to new opportunities,' the company added.The affected employees will receive payments for their notice periods along with an additional severance package. TCS will also look to extend insurance benefits and offer outplacement opportunities for the impacted employees.The layoff decision comes days after several TCS employees filed legal complaints against the company's recently tweaked employee bench policy, which allows employees only 35 annual days without being deployed on a project and to maintain at least 225 billable days annually.India's software services companies, with a cumulative revenue of over $283 billion, are among the largest private sector employers, with TCS being the largest.On Friday, ET reported that job additions at the top six IT majors saw a decline of over 72% with a mere 3,847 employee additions in the April-June quarter, a drop from 13,935 people who were hired by the six firms in the March quarter.TCS also stated it is making strategic initiatives on multiple fronts, including investing in new-tech areas, entering new markets, deploying AI at scale for our clients and ourselves, deepening our partnerships, creating next-gen infrastructure and realigning our workforce model.Towards this, a number of reskilling and redeployment initiatives have been underway. Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. From near bankruptcy to blockbuster drug: How Khorakiwala turned around Wockhardt
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Trump strikes 'biggest ever' trade deal with EU: Here's what we know, what we don't
The US and European Union have struck a landmark trade deal imposing a 15 per cent tariff on most EU goods, averting Trump's threatened 30 per cent levy. The agreement promises $750 billion in US energy sales and $600 billion in EU investments, but leaves key issues unresolved read more The United States and the European Union have struck one of the most consequential trade agreements in recent years. Announced by US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during Trump's visit to Scotland, the pact establishes a 15 per cent tariff on most EU exports to America, replacing the looming threat of a 30 per cent levy that would have taken effect on August 1. While hailed as a breakthrough, the framework leaves crucial gaps unresolved. 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Zero tariffs on these 'strategic' goods Although the 15 per cent tariff applies broadly — including on key sectors like cars, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals — there are notable carve-outs. Both sides agreed to zero tariffs on certain 'strategic' goods: Aircraft and aircraft parts Select chemicals Some generic drugs Semiconductor production equipment A range of agricultural items Critical raw materials and natural resources Von der Leyen stressed that the list is not final: 'We will keep working to add more products to this list.' Even with these exemptions, major questions linger. Tariff treatment for spirits remains unresolved, an issue of particular sensitivity given its impact on producers and consumers in both the US and the EU. Pharmaceuticals — a massive trade category — were intentionally left off the main deal. 'Pharmaceuticals were on a separate sheet of paper,' von der Leyen explained, meaning discussions will continue separately. A major flashpoint is steel. Trump made clear that his administration's 50 per cent tariff on imported steel — introduced earlier as part of his broader trade agenda — would remain in place. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Von der Leyen signalled a willingness to keep talking about potentially replacing that tariff with a quota system, which would cap the amount of steel allowed into the US at lower duty rates. What this means for Americans & Europeans While the 15 per cent tariff avoided the heavier blow of 30 per cent, it still represents a seismic change. Prior to Trump's presidency, average US tariffs on European goods hovered around 1–1.5 per cent; the European Union's own tariffs on American products were similarly low. Trump himself had instituted a 10 per cent 'baseline tariff' while negotiations were ongoing — high enough that the European Commission downgraded its 2025 growth forecast from 1.3 per cent to 0.9 per cent earlier this year. The new tariff effectively cements that higher-cost reality. Import taxes of this scale force two choices for companies selling into the US market: raise prices for American consumers — risking market share — or absorb the cost through lower profit margins. European exporters are bracing for the impact. The Federation of German Industries warned of serious consequences, with senior official Wolfgang Niedermark stating: 'Even a 15 per cent tariff rate will have immense negative effects on export-oriented German industry.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump insists that the tariffs are a tool for fairness, pointing to the long-standing trade imbalance between the two economies. Before his return to office, the US-EU trade relationship — worth around €1.7 trillion ($2 trillion) annually — was largely balanced in services but heavily tilted in goods: in 2024, the EU posted a €198 billion trade surplus with the US. How Europe has reacted Reactions in Europe have been cautious but largely positive — driven by relief that a full-scale trade war has been avoided. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the outcome, saying it prevented 'an unnecessary escalation in transatlantic trade relations' and preserved 'our core interests.' He added, however, that 'I would have very much wished for further relief in transatlantic trade.' Markets showed mild optimism. The euro rose about 0.2 per cent against the dollar, sterling, and yen within an hour of the announcement — a sign that investors were reassured by the removal of Trump's August 1 tariff threat. Economists, however, are urging caution. Carsten Brzeski, global chief of macroeconomics at ING, summed up the hesitation, 'The big caveat to today's deal is that there is nothing on paper, yet. With this disclaimer in mind and at face value, today's agreement would clearly bring an end to the uncertainty of recent months. An escalation of the US-EU trade tensions would have been a severe risk for the global economy. This risk seems to have been avoided.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What about the auto industry Among the industries most affected by Trump's tariffs is the European auto sector. Until now, European carmakers had been paying a 27.5 per cent tariff — made up of Trump's 25 per cent tariff on all imported cars plus the preexisting 2.5 per cent duty. The new agreement cuts that total to 15 per cent, a meaningful reduction but still far above historical norms. Von der Leyen pointed out that the new rate is 'much lower' than the current burden, making it easier for carmakers to sell into the US. Yet for major automakers, the damage has already been done. Volkswagen reported a €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) hit to profits in the first half of 2025 alone due to higher tariffs. Mercedes-Benz, while somewhat shielded by its Tuscaloosa, Alabama production plant — which makes 35 per cent of Mercedes vehicles sold in the US — warned of 'significant increases' in car prices in coming years. Dealers have said they are holding prices steady 'until further notice,' but acknowledge hikes are coming. Japan deal with a lot of holes The new EU agreement resembles the framework Trump struck with Japan a week earlier, which carried a $550 billion price tag. Like that deal, the EU pact leaves major details unsettled and is being cast by the White House as a victory in its push to 'rebalance' global trade. Trump has long argued that the EU was formed to disadvantage the US economically. He has claimed that tariffs have generated 'hundreds of billions of dollars' in revenue for the American government and dismissed warnings from economists about inflationary effects. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This latest deal fits into his administration's broader goal of signing '90 deals in 90 days' — a goal officials admit hasn't been met, but which has already yielded agreements with UK, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam. Senior US officials underscored the scale of this latest accord. 'Remember, their economy is $20 trillion … they are five times bigger than Japan,' one official said during a briefing to reporters. 'So the opportunity of opening their market is enormous for our farmers, our fishermen, our ranchers, all our industrial products, all our businesses.' Why the deal is still incomplete Not every issue was resolved in Scotland. Spirits remain a particularly thorny topic, with both US bourbon makers and European wine and liquor producers awaiting clarity on whether they will face tariffs. Steel and aluminium, too, remain at the top of the agenda. Trump is keeping the 50 per cent steel tariff intact, while the EU is pushing for talks to turn it into a quota-based system. There's also the question of pharmaceuticals and non-tariff barriers. US officials claim Europe has agreed to reduce some of these regulatory barriers for automobiles and certain agricultural goods — but EU officials counter that the specifics are still under discussion. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump has also reserved the right to raise tariffs again if the EU fails to follow through on its investment and energy-buying pledges, according to senior administration figures. The US and EU together represent 44 per cent of global GDP, and their trade flows total nearly €1.7 trillion ($2 trillion) annually. For decades, this partnership thrived on low tariffs and deep economic integration, with US goods tariffs averaging 1.47 per cent and EU tariffs on U.S. products averaging 1.35 per cent, according to the Brussels-based Bruegel think tank. Trump's tariffs — starting with steel, then cars, and now a sweeping 15 per cent rate — have disrupted that status quo. With inputs from agencies