Latest news with #GenY
Indian Express
28-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
TCS job cuts raise concerns: Is Indian IT headed the Silicon Valley way?
In a move that has unsettled the Indian tech industry, Tata Consultancy Services — the country's largest IT company — announced Sunday that it will be laying off 2 per cent of its workforce. The decision is likely to hit mid- and senior-level employees the hardest. The announcement by the IT bellweather has sparked a degree of uncertainty across the sector, especially with the protectionist stance in countries such as the US and the challenges thrown up by the advent of AI. The big concern: Is the Indian IT industry starting to mimic the ruthless layoff culture of US tech giants? For years, Indian IT firms boasted of stable growth and job security. But that image is eroding. It needs to be underlined that India's top tech firms have spent the last decade aggressively expanding, nearly doubling their headcount during the tech boom, especially after the pandemic. Now, with demand softening and pressure on margins, companies appear to be pulling the plug on that growth story. Together, the top four IT companies — TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and HCL Technologies — employ around 13.70 lakh people. But with TCS firing the first shot, employees at other firms are bracing for the worst. If India's biggest IT company can slash jobs this suddenly, what's stopping the rest? That is the big worry. 'The continued global macro-economic and geo-political uncertainties caused a demand contraction,' said K Krithivasan, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, TCS, while unveiling the company results earlier this month. The era of guaranteed job security in Indian IT may be coming to a close amid the global trade issues and economic uncertainty. For a sector that has long been seen as a safe haven for middle-class professionals, the message is clear: no one is immune anymore. TCS: A decade of scaling up, diversity in hiring Over the past decade, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has demonstrated remarkable workforce growth, scaling up from 319,656 employees in March 2015 to over 613,000 by June 2025, a surge of 91.79 per cent, according to TCS Annual Report. This growth mirrors its expanding business and global reach. In FY2015, TCS employed people from 122 nationalities across 55 countries. By FY2016, the headcount had jumped to 353,843, with over 90,000 hires, including 74,009 in India alone. Nationality representation rose to 129. FY2017 saw the workforce grow to 387,000, with 34.7 per cent women and talent from 130 countries. In FY2018, digital hiring became the focus, pushing the headcount to nearly 395,000, with 35.3 per cent women and more than 85 per cent Gen Y employees, reflecting a young, tech-savvy pool. By FY2019, the company had grown to 424,285 employees, representing 147 nationalities, and added another 24,179 people in FY2020. In FY2021, the workforce reached 488,649, and in FY2022, TCS surpassed half a million employees, with a record 103,546 net additions due to high demand for digital services. FY2023 marked a strategic pause: hiring slowed, and focus shifted to optimizing resources. The workforce reached 614,795, with attrition at 20.1 per cent, and women making up 35.7 per cent. The number of represented nationalities crossed 150. By March 2024, headcount adjusted slightly to 601,546, and attrition dropped sharply to 12.5 per cent. In March 2025, it rose again to 607,979, reaching 613,069 by June—adding 293,413 employees in a decade. TCS's journey is not just about numbers — it's a story of scaling with purpose, embracing diversity, and adapting with resilience in an ever-evolving tech landscape. Infosys: Growth with a post-peak correction Infosys has seen an 84 per cent workforce growth in the past decade — from 176,000 employees in FY2015 to 323,578 in FY2025. While this marks strong expansion, the company's headcount slightly declined after peaking in FY2023. In FY2023, Infosys hit a high of 343,234 employees, having added 50,000 fresh graduates that year to meet surging demand. But hiring slowed afterward, with headcount dipping to 317,240 in FY2024, despite bringing in 11,900 new graduates, as per Infosys Annual Report. By March 2025, the number stood at 323,578, of which 306,599 were delivery professionals, including trainees. The company maintained a strong focus on client service delivery, even during workforce adjustments. In FY2022, Infosys had over 314,000 employees, following steady pandemic-era growth. In FY2021, the workforce crossed 260,000, enabled by rapid remote-work adaptation during COVID-19. Despite the slight post-FY23 correction, Infosys remains a global IT powerhouse. The dip reflects larger industry trends — automation, efficiency mandates, and shifting client needs. Still, Infosys continues to invest in young talent, build digital capabilities, and retain its position among the largest IT employers globally. Wipro: Steady expansion with strategic realignment Wipro grew its workforce by 64 per cent over the past decade, from 142,282 employees in FY2015 to 233,346 in FY2025, says the company's Annual Report. However, like its peers, Wipro saw a modest decline after peaking in FY2023. In FY2023, Wipro reached an all-time high with 245,000+ employees spread across 65 countries. The following year, FY2024, the count adjusted to 234,054, with women making up 36.6 per cent of the workforce—a notable rise from 30.2 per cent in FY2015. By March 2025, the workforce stood at 233,346, with employees representing 146 nationalities, showcasing Wipro's focus on diversity and global integration. Back in FY2015, the company had 142,282 permanent employees, alongside 28,200 contractors or retainers supporting various functions. Though hiring slowed after FY23, Wipro remains one of the largest IT employers in India. Its recent moderation in workforce numbers reflects a strategic pivot toward efficiency, automation, and long-term sustainability amid evolving global tech dynamics. HCL Tech: Doubling talent through steady growth HCL Technologies more than doubled its workforce over the last decade — from 106,107 in FY2015 to 227,481 by FY2024. This trajectory underlines HCL Tech's consistent rise in the global IT services landscape. According to HCL Tech Annual Report, in FY2024, the company onboarded 12,141 freshers, growing its headcount by 1,537 net additions. The attrition rate stood at 12.4 per cent, indicating stable retention in a competitive industry. A decade earlier, HCL Tech had grown from 91,691 in FY2014 to 106,107 in FY2015, setting the stage for sustained expansion. Since then, it has steadily added talent each year, riding the demand wave for cloud, engineering, and digital transformation services. This growth not only reflects HCL Tech's ability to scale but also its commitment to building a resilient, future-ready workforce, with a strong focus on training, onboarding fresh talent, and navigating industry shifts.
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First Post
22-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Sex recession: Why Gen Z is saying no intercourse
Does Gen Z have a problem with sex? One in four Gen Z adults has had zero sexual partners, and they are masturbating less than before, according to studies. But why are they staying off sex? read more Gen Z are those born in the 1990s and early 2000s. They come after the millennials, also known as Gen Y. Gen Y came after Gen X – the original alphabet generation. Representational Image/Pixabay Gen Z has a problem with sex. Specifically that they can't get any – in what has been dubbed the 'sex recession'. This, according to Carter Sherman, author of The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation's Fight Over Its Future. Sherman, who is a reporter at The Guardian, interviewed over 100 Gen Z-ers under the age of 30 for her book. She previously worked for Vice News. But what do we know? What does it mean? Why is this happening? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Let's take a closer look: A brief look at Gen Z First, let's take a brief look at Gen Z. Gen Z are those born in the 1990s and early 2000s. They come after the millennials, also known as Gen Y. Gen Y came after Gen X – the original alphabet generation. The data shows that over 60 per cent of 18- to 29-year-olds lean to the Left. Gen Z women are said to be the most left-wing bloc in history – particularly on issues such as the environment, gun control and abortion. What do we know? Sherman in her book said the data reflects the scope of the sex recession. She quoted a 2022 study as showing that o ne in four Gen Z adults have had zero sexual partners. She said in 2023, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that a third of high schoolers had sex. That number was nearly 50 per cent in 2013. Sherman says Gen Z is even masturbating less than before. She said what she discovered was contrary to the media narratives that they are disinterested in sex or simply prudes. 'Many of them are very horny. They would like to be having sex, and in fact they feel a lot of shame over the fact that they haven't had sex yet or that they're not having sex enough', Sherman told Wired. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Sherman in her book writes that young people feel 'stranded before the maw of a vast and dehumanising internet.' The ubiquity of porn in the lives of Gen Z cannot be taken for granted. She described the internet as a 'TikTokian carousel of porn' and also a 'mass social experiment with no antecedent and whose results we are just now beginning to see'. Sherman said many Gen Z-ers had learned about sex from porn – which had impacted their ideas about sexual preferences. 'A lot of young people told me that they felt like porn had normalised 'rough sex' and in particular had normalized choking. If you're under 40, you are almost twice as likely to have been choked during sex. And I talked to one young woman who was telling me, you know, when she was first having sex in high school, and all of her friends were having sex, all of them were getting choked, and she was like, 'Some of us liked it, but not all of us liked it', Sherman told Wired. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The ubiquity of porn in the lives of Gen Z cannot be taken for granted. While some data show that nearly half of adult Gen Z-ers think porn is harmful, three-fourths of young Americans have done so by the time they turn 18, Worse, 15 per cent have watched it at age 10 or below. Why is this happening? Sherman has claimed that Gen Z is worried about being punished for having sex. Sherman has said that these attitudes are a result of sexual conservatism – which seeks to eliminate abortion and access to birth control – being on the upswing in America. This has become more far more acute in the aftermath the fall of Roe vs Wade. Sherman in her NPR interviewed described Gen Z as 'petrified' of the consequences of sex. '…I think that feeling that people are now going to face a kind of punishment for sex, because they'll be forced to have kids that they don't want — I think that is really rife within Gen Z. And that contributes to this overall miasma of anxiety and fear around sex that really doesn't lead people to want to have it,' Sherman said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD She also pointed to the MeToo movement having unintended consequences of having created concern around sex but not providing women with ways to improve the system. Gen Z in America worried about being punished for having sex. This has become more far more acute in the aftermath the fall of Roe vs Wade. AP 'So for the young women I talked to, that makes the whole world just seem so much more dangerous because it just makes it seem like now you know that something bad happened, but no one else cares,' Sherman added. She also blamed Covid-19 for depriving this generation of real life experiences when it comes to sex. '…I think that they are very interested in sex, but they're not necessarily able to put it into practice as much. I mean, this is a generation that grew up during COVID, and so they missed a lot of key milestones — they just missed out on having that really critical IRL experience to know what it's like to try and get with somebody else,' Sherman said. With inputs from agencies
Borneo Post
14-07-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Picking on the right side of change
One of the most common complaints by staff is that their leaders are picky. They pick on the pettiest things that irritate people and affect morale. Some leaders have such strongly ingrained habits that they cannot be anything but picky. Well, in such cases, I have a sound and clear prescription for these leaders. Here are seven ways leaders can be picky and still be effective and productive in the workplace. 1. Pick on the things that people are doing right One of the defining characteristics of the new workforce — particularly Gen Y — is that they want to make a difference in what they do and be recognized for it. Hence, the role of leaders is to go around picking out the things people are doing right. This not only motivates them but also keeps them engaged and provides a more meaningful work experience. While it's tempting for most leaders to catch people doing the wrong thing and penalize them, research has shown it is more productive to highlight what people are doing right and appreciate them. Positive reinforcement works better than negative reinforcement. 2. Pick on the strengths of people The key aim of leadership is to bring out the best in people. Instead of picking on people's flaws, it is far more effective for leaders to identify each individual's strengths and talents and find ways to leverage them. From our consulting work with clients, we've noted that while HR practitioners spend much time attracting and developing talent, less time is spent utilizing the existing talents of individuals. To do this, leaders must start picking out people's strengths and provide assignments or work that meaningfully engages their talents. In fact, to retain talent, leaders must not only utilize individuals' capabilities but also appreciate and recognize them by accentuating their strengths rather than their shortcomings. 3. Pick on the positive things that happen One of the icebreakers we typically use before beginning our clients' group meetings is to get participants to share three positive things that happened to them in their lives or in the workplace during the preceding week. The goal is to start on a positive note to inspire the team. We've often found that when we focus on the positive, the team's energy level rises, they feel more motivated, and they come up with more creative ideas and solutions to problems. 4. Pick on a new way of doing things It's common practice for most leaders to pick the familiar and proven way of doing things. The old beaten path, of course, is more convenient, easier, and appears less risky. However, this approach becomes problematic when things start to change. When customer expectations shift, the way we serve our customers must also change — or risk losing them. Often, we may have to offer different products, provide better service, or offer more attractive terms to stay competitive. In fact, doing the same things repeatedly may be very risky when the environment changes rapidly — as was the case with Kodak, which changed too slowly when technology shifted from film to digital. The old proven ways are no longer safe in a rapidly changing world. Hence, picking a new way of doing things — aligned with the evolving environment — is often the key to survival. 5. Pick on a young person to lead The old cliché that experience is the best teacher may not hold true anymore. In today's digital age, most knowledge and the sharing of experience is accessible with a click and enhanced by various AI tools suc Chatgpt, Google Gemini, Microsoft Pilot, Perplexity and so many others. Therefore, experience may be overrated. Moreover, older staff may have outdated experience and knowledge which, if not updated, becomes irrelevant in the modern workplace. In essence, age does not matter — as long as what does matter does not age: the ability and willingness to learn and stay relevant. There are many advantages to picking a young person to lead. Among them is that young people are often 'hungrier' to prove their leadership and approach situations with fresh eyes and no past baggage. They carry no past negative experiences and thus are bolder in taking risks and trying new approaches or ventures. The next time you're choosing between Gen X and Gen Y to lead, give the latter a chance. 6. Pick on a bold initiative of change Leadership in today's competitive business world is not for the faint-hearted. Successful business management requires bold leaders with the courage to change and take risks for a better tomorrow. We do not need leaders who are complacent or committed to maintaining the status quo. We need leaders willing to take the path less traveled — one that can make all the difference. We need leaders to take bold initiatives to transform workforces, companies, industries, and even the world. Today's world is calling for leaders like Elon Musks of Space X Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Jack Ma of Alibaba and Ma Huateng of Tencent — who consistently pick bold initiatives of change to meet the ever-rising expectations of a changing world. 7. Pick on an idea of possibility Great inventions, discoveries and achievements are the result of leaders who pick on possibilities instead of problems. The Wright brothers picked on the idea of possibility when they successfully made the first 'heavier-than-air flight in 1903. In 1961, John F Kennedy picked on the idea of possibility of ''landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth' by the end of the decade. In 1980, Bill Gates then the CEO of Microsoft picked on the idea of possibility of 'a computer on every desk and in every home'. Chinese entrepreneur Jack Ma picked on the possibility of empowering small businesses through technology when he founded Alibaba in 1999 with just 18 people in his apartment — building it into one of the world's largest e-commerce platforms. Similarly, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei envisioned a future where China could lead in telecommunications and innovation despite global skepticism — transforming Huawei into a global tech giant through perseverance, innovation and investment in R&D. In essence to be an effective leader, don't pick on problems, simply pick an idea of possibility and make it happen. It is indeed alright to be a picky leader. Just make sure you are not picking on the nerves of people but on the right ways and things to inspire and transform your people and organization for the better. Dr. Victor S.L. Tan is the CEO of KL Strategic Change Consulting Group, a leading firm in strategy, leadership, and organizational transformation. He was formerly the Corporate Planner at Public Bank Berhad and a Manager in Accenture's Change Management Division. He has authored 21 books, including The Lessons of Success of Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow, founder of Public Bank. His bestsellers Changing Mindsets and The Secret of Change—the first motivational book in Malaysia in rhymes recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records. His company received The BrandLaureate Award for its outstanding impact on organizational productivity and profitability. Contact Dr. Tan at 012-390 3168 or [email protected].
Mint
07-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Workspace evolution: Gen Z inspires new office design trends
One thing we'd never give up as an organisation is a physical space, a place where real, in-person connections can continue to thrive as we work," says Advait Gupt, co-founder and CEO of Mumbai-based Kulfi Collective, a creative network that produces branded and original IPs for Gen Y and Z audiences. On the cusp of a seismic shift in work culture, various generations are coexisting under a single roof. Gen Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2012, is perceivably more vocal about personal growth in a professional setting. As the younger generation steps out to work post pandemic, their non-negotiable ideal of a healthy workplace is causing high attrition and employers are struggling to keep up. The JLL India Future of Work Survey 2024 revealed that in India, 90% of companies now require at least three days of office presence. In this era of conflicting sensibilities, a reimagination of the brick-and-mortar office is helping bridge gaps and retain the love for the workplace. 'A physical intervention can't always be as impactful as a good chat with your team. Real work is built in conversations, not confinements," says Ayushi Jain, a 20-something visual designer from Delhi. But 39-year-old Gupt is one of the many employers of his generation who believe that if designed thoughtfully, a workplace can embody and cultivate these values that younger professionals believe in. His creative agency was founded in 2012 and recently got a redesign at its address in Mumbai's Nehru Centre. When designing the space (later named Kulfiverse) he and his team capitalised on its circular structure to inspire borderless communication and the transparent culture of collaboration. Changing Times The asset is the same: space. How people invest in it is up for a reinvention. 'For a typical professional, an eight-hour workday is often bookended by the need to manage meals, commute, fitness and chores. By having such services in the office, we're freed to focus completely on our work and preserve valuable personal time for hobbies and relaxation outside," says Ashutosh Chauhan, a Hyderabad-based application engineer working at Google India. The MNC has been pushing the bill on creative workplace design for years, with amenities like themed meeting rooms named after animated TV series, food setups, gyms, etc. More corporations are considering such inclusions. Aayush Golecha and Kushaal Jhaveri, co-founders of Mumbai-based architecture and interior design firm The Comma Collective, concur: 'Earlier, the corporate design brief was consistent: maintain efficiency while fitting as many people as possible with the bare essentials. Post covid, founders want sleeping pods, TT tables and wellness rooms." The demand for a more connected and growth-oriented organisation is also evident among Gen Z employees, who place more value on output over process. Such diversity cannot be nurtured without acknowledging factors like creative breaks, cerebral stimulation, sensory comfort, mental health, and productivity cycles. Architecture is thus becoming a way of incorporating these elements into daily culture. The New Blueprint Golecha focuses on thoughtful zoning, materiality and visual cues when designing. 'Modern workspaces must be adaptable and offer what remote setups can't—authentic connection, inspiration and a sense of community," he says. For instance, Google's open plan layout built on a no-cabin system inspires easy conversation across corporate hierarchies. Kulfiverse features breakout rooms and a community space with Lego sets to spark ideas. While brands are playing around with layout, there's still a long way to go for material tweaks. Many continue to demand traditional materials like marble and only as much colour as needed to reflect the brand's identity. However, surfaces like wood, ceramic and concrete balanced with soft textiles can feel warm, grounded and real—qualities that resonate deeply with the younger generation. While Gen Z is mindful of sustainability, designers foresee a considerable journey ahead for companies, mainly because of the initial investment it requires. These, along with visual and tactile cues, can stimulate creativity, break the stereotype around 'work desks" and tap into intuitive work cycles. 'Use materials that tell stories: upcycled tiles from a previous site, marble scraps turned into tables or graffiti walls that double up as memory archives. Design for movement and spontaneity through writable surfaces, modular zones and light that changes with mood," says Smita Thomas, founder of interior design studio Multitude of Sins. The Hurdle in Huddling Though easily definable, this collaborative experiment is a ropewalk of balance between monotony and overstimulation, creative provocation and mental restoration. Jain's field of work is the perfect example: 'My three essentials in a workspace are: a clean room; good lighting; and a solid sound system. If I create something bad, chances are the lighting was off or the music wasn't on." Space and budget constraints can often pose another challenge. But as per Thomas, 'The trick is to design layered zones that cater to different energies in a single space. In our office, Sin City, we made contemplative corners and outrageous installations coexist to our team's liking." Biophilic architecture is another element finding its way into offices, offsetting bold props with soothing greenery. It's a design approach that integrates nature into the built environment to enhance well-being. The new office is also integrating technologically-forward systems into the physical layout, personalising sanctuaries and blurring the gap between home and office. 'As digital natives, Gen Z employees are highly comfortable navigating virtual spaces for personal activities, expecting the same ease of use at work as they experience with apps for online shopping or social media," Gupt shares. While covid initially led teams to experiment with socio-professional communities like Slack, the post-covid headquarters is welcoming physical infrastructure for a hybrid lifestyle. If there's anything this metamorphosis is teaching us, it's that moving forward should be about building on successes from the past. That means reimagining spatial existence to reinforce the personal connection we've always valued as humans. As Thomas puts it, 'The smartest companies we've worked with are the ones who aren't looking to emulate a trend, but asking the right questions: What drives our people? What kind of energy do we want to cultivate?" And that's when new perceptions of the young begin to matter, improving the very blueprint of how we think, feel and act. Ria Gupta is a travel and design writer. Follow her work @ria_gupta. Write to us at lounge@
Bangkok Post
03-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Greater Bangkok property demand surges in Q1
Confidence among prospective homebuyers in Greater Bangkok surged in the first quarter of this year, reaching its highest level since tracking began in the fourth quarter of 2023, driven by interest rate cuts and the temporary easing of loan-to-value (LTV) rules. The Real Estate Information Center (REIC) reported that the housing purchase confidence index (HPCI) in Greater Bangkok rose to 51.7 in the first quarter of 2025, surpassing the neutral benchmark of 50 for the first time. This marks a 12.5-point year-on-year increase, from 39.2, and an 8.8-point rise from 42.9 in the fourth quarter of 2024. The rebound in sentiment was supported by a cut in the Bank of Thailand's policy rate from 2.25% to 2.00% on Feb 26, which lowered monthly mortgage payments and improved affordability for buyers. Banks also rolled out low-interest housing loans early in the year, while the central bank announced on March 20 a temporary relaxation of LTV rules, effective from May 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, further boosting purchasing sentiment. REIC found that the share of respondents planning to buy a home within one year jumped to 61.1%, up from 50.8% a year earlier. The data was collected through online and offline surveys of over-18s at housing expos and on the REIC website. Most survey respondents were women (62.1%), aged 25–34 (47.4%), holding a bachelor's degree (66.4%), and working in the private sector (61.6%). Around one-third earned between 30,001 and 50,000 baht monthly. The biggest reason for purchasing property was cited as being for the buyer's own residence (30.5%), followed by acquiring property as an asset (15.2%), and improving travel convenience (12.6%). Investment demand declined significantly to 10.3%, from 18.4% last year. The preference shifted notably towards new properties, with 46% indicating an intent to buy only new homes, up from 38.9%. Interest in secondhand homes dropped to 4.3%, from 8.3% a year earlier. Single detached houses remained the most sought-after property type, capturing 41.2% of demand, particularly in the 3.01–5 million baht range. Condos and townhouses followed in popularity. In terms of budget, 83.2% of respondents sought homes priced under 5 million baht. The most desired price bracket was 2.01–3 million baht, accounting for 25.1% of responses. Non-provincial Bangkok city continued to dominate location preferences with 59.9% of demand, particularly in areas with easy access to workplaces like Bang Na, Bang Kapi, and Lat Phrao. Demand from younger generations led by Gen Y and Z is continuing to drive the market. However, interest in condos has declined across all age groups, except for buyers aged 55 and older, who leaned towards condo investment.
