Latest news with #HCLTech
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
AI talent gap: Savvy freshers bag 4x more pay
Representational Image BENGALURU: Technology companies are facing a significant shortfall in AI-specialised talent, with just 15-20% of the workforce trained in artificial intelligence. This has prompted a shift in hiring strategies across the sector. From major IT services firms like HCLTech to digital engineering players like Publicis Sapient and emerging AI startups such as StaqU, the message is consistent: the available talent pool is struggling to match the rapidly growing demand. "There just aren't that many people in the market with AI skills," said Shefali Sharma Garg, chief people officer at Publicis Sapient. "Our approach is to hire agile talent who can evolve as AI matures. It's moving fast, and adaptability is key." The most sought-after roles include engineers skilled in building, training, and deploying AI models, as well as professionals capable of working alongside intelligent systems to drive business outcomes. As a result, compensation for individuals with specialised AI expertise has spiked. HCLTech reports offering up to four times the standard entry-level salary for freshers with niche AI competencies. "We focus on quality over quantity," said Ramachandran Sundararajan, chief people officer at HCLTech. "Roughly 15-20% of our campus intake this year will be specialised hires, and we're happy to expand that if more candidates meet our benchmark." AI skilled freshers At Gurugram-based AI startup StaqU, the recruitment model revolves around hiring young, self-taught engineers - even before they graduate. "We don't hire based on years of experience," said Atul Rai, CEO and co-founder. "We evaluate GitHub contributions, community feedback, and research output. Someone with two years of hands-on GitHub work in AI is more valuable to us than someone with two decades in Java." Yet, sourcing such talent remains a challenge. Rai highlights a broader issue: India's limited research infrastructure and funding prevent it from building foundational AI models on par with countries like the US and China. "We're not building LLMs. We're building applications on top of them - and for that, we need adaptable AI engineers, not just coders," he added. The shortage is also evident at E2E Networks, a cloud-native company empanelled by MeitY. "AI has no fixed curriculum. What's in demand today didn't exist two years ago," said Mohammed Imran, CTO of E2E. "Only two out of 10 candidates clear our AI hiring process." This gap is mirrored in broader industry data. According to a recent Bain & Company report, AI-related job postings have grown at an annual rate of 21% since 2019, with salaries rising by 11%. Still, the supply of skilled professionals hasn't kept pace. Bain projects that India's AI industry will generate 2.3 million jobs by 2027. However, the talent pool is estimated to reach just 1.2 million-leaving over a million positions to be filled through upskilling and training initiatives. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
20 Hidden Benefits Of Composable Architecture In Enterprise Tech
Composable architecture structures systems using modular, interchangeable components, allowing organizations to adapt more quickly and deliver more tailored technology solutions. As the demand for agility, scalability and resilience grows, this approach is gaining traction across enterprise tech. Beyond the well-known benefits of flexibility and cost efficiency, composable architecture offers additional advantages that often go overlooked. Below, members of Forbes Technology Council highlight some of these lesser-known upsides, ranging from enhanced resilience and faster innovation to lower risk and improved team collaboration. 1. Decentralized Decision-Making Composable architecture boosts organizational agility via modular governance. It enables decentralized decision-making, empowering teams to innovate locally without disrupting the system. Policies can target specific components for streamlined compliance, and new talent can integrate seamlessly by focusing on individual components, avoiding the need for full system expertise. - Sadagopan S, HCLTech 2. Easy Maintainability One of the most overlooked benefits is easy maintainability, along with improved speed and innovation. Composable architecture allows responsibilities to be split across different teams. Once APIs are defined, each component can be implemented in different ways. Technical debt, evolution, innovation and even implementation changes can be managed independently, which adds significant value. - Gregorio Alejandro Patiño Zabala, Pragma Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify? 3. Enhanced Developer Experience Composable architecture's impact on talent retention is a significant, yet overlooked, benefit. By empowering smaller, autonomous teams to work on independent components, it enhances the developer experience and fosters a culture of ownership. This autonomy accelerates innovation and reduces frustration, making the organization a more attractive place for top engineering talent. - Miguel Llorca, Axazure 4. Quick Decommissioning Of Underperforming Modules Composable architecture lets teams retire or replace underperforming modules without a rewrite, slashing tech debt accrual. Quick decommissioning keeps the stack lean, cuts maintenance costs and frees budget and talent for new revenue-generating work. - Jon Latshaw, Advizex 5. Faster Experimentation One often-overlooked benefit of composable architecture is the ability to conduct faster experimentation. Teams can easily swap or update individual components without disrupting the whole system, enabling rapid testing of new ideas. This agility accelerates innovation and helps enterprises stay competitive in a constantly evolving tech landscape. - Paul Kovalenko, Langate Software 6. Empowerment Of Nontechnical Teams An often-overlooked benefit of composable architecture is its ability to empower nontechnical teams to innovate faster through low-code or no-code component reuse. This democratizes development, reduces IT bottlenecks and accelerates time to market. By decoupling services, enterprises enable agility across departments, fostering cross-functional collaboration and rapid experimentation. - Govinda Rao Banothu, Cognizant Technology Solutions 7. Selective Innovation One often-overlooked benefit of adopting composable architecture is business agility through selective innovation. Instead of overhauling entire systems, teams can upgrade or replace individual components (like payment, identity or analytics modules) without disrupting the whole stack. This modularity allows faster experimentation and faster time to market while reducing risk and technical debt. - Pallishree Panigrahi, Amazon Key 8. Rapid AI Integration A modular, composable architecture is key to AI-powered ERP transformation because it lets enterprises rapidly integrate, automate and optimize processes with AI agents—reducing manual effort, accelerating innovation and ensuring real-time adaptability across the entire ERP lifecycle. - Pankaj Goel, Opkey 9. Boosted Business Flexibility One often-overlooked benefit of composable architecture is how it boosts business flexibility, allowing teams to experiment with new ideas and innovate quickly through modular, adaptable systems. The impact lies in how this agility translates to quicker adaptation to changing market demands, customer preferences and operational needs. - Prasad Banala, Dollar General Corporation 10. Readiness For Rapid Strategic Pivots The most overlooked benefit in my opinion is organizational readiness for rapid strategic pivots. When your tech stack uses modular, API-connected components, you can swap entire business capabilities in weeks, not years. This agility transforms how fast you respond to market shifts, turning technology from a constraint into your competitive edge. - Faizan Mustafa, Aviatrix 11. More Independent Teams Composable architecture empowers teams to work independently by breaking systems into modular components like APIs and microservices. This autonomy accelerates delivery, reduces bottlenecks and boosts innovation. Enterprises use it to modernize platforms and improve agility—without overhauling entire systems. - Ranganath Taware, Capgemini America Inc. 12. 'Scope Creep' Becoming 'Scope Leap' Composable architecture's sneaky superpower? It turns 'scope creep' into 'scope leap.' By swapping monoliths for modularity, teams can safely experiment and scale ideas like LEGO bricks—without bringing the whole castle down. That freedom fosters innovation, not hesitation. It's like giving your devs a 'yes, and …' button. - Joel Frenette, 13. The Ability To Isolate Production Issues Having implemented composable architecture in the past, I've found that one overlooked benefit is its ability to isolate production issues to specific functionalities without impacting the entire system. This enables faster production issue triage and resolution, ultimately improving RTO and RPO for end users. - Sid Dixit, CopperPoint Insurance 14. Fast Innovation With Minimal Disruption Composable architecture provides the ability to future-proof business by enabling rapid integration of new technologies with minimal disruption. Because composable systems are modular and API-driven, enterprises can quickly adopt innovations, swap out outdated components, and scale up or down as needed without major downtime. This agility not only reduces operational risk, but also ensures the organization remains competitive. - Anusha Nerella, State Street Corporation 15. Faster Developer Onboarding One often-missed benefit of composable architecture is faster developer onboarding. Since systems are built in small, clear parts, new team members can quickly understand and work on just what's needed. This saves time, reduces errors and helps teams move faster without being stuck in complex old code. - Jay Krishnan, NAIB IT Consultancy Solutions WLL 16. Avoidance Of Vendor Lock-In Composable architecture helps enterprises avoid vendor lock-in by building modular, interchangeable systems. Businesses can swap out components as needed, adopt best-of-breed tools, lower costs and stay agile. This flexibility allows companies to adapt quickly to market changes while minimizing risk and long-term costs. - Dileep Rai, Hachette Book Group 17. Freedom To 'Fail Cheaply' Composable architecture lets you fail cheaply. When a component bombs, you swap it out without torching the whole stack. This makes teams braver about trying new tech. The real win isn't flexibility. It's the psychological safety to experiment without causing career-ending disasters. - Ishaan Agarwal, Square 18. Shorter Time To Value Composable architecture shortens time to value. You can pilot new tech, iterate product improvements and optimize features without overhauling the entire stack. This flexibility means faster proof of value, continuous delivery and reduced risk when swapping in better-fit tools or capabilities. - Karen Kim, Human Managed 19. Rapid Disaster Recovery Composable architecture enables rapid disaster recovery through modular component isolation. When one system fails, you can quickly swap or restore individual pieces without rebuilding the entire stack, minimizing downtime and data loss risk. - Chongwei Chen, DataNumen, Inc. 20. Reduced 'Cost Of Change' One often-overlooked benefit of composable architecture is its ability to reduce the 'cost of change'—enabling enterprises to adapt and innovate rapidly without the heavy overhead of modifying tightly coupled systems. This modularity streamlines updates, minimizes risk and frees resources for strategic growth, making IT a true driver of business agility and resilience. - Pradeep Kumar Muthukamatchi, Microsoft
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Tech outlook: Indian IT firms face margin heat as AI impact meets macro slowdown; companies delay hikes, cut costs and chase deal conversions in negotiator's market
AI image India's top IT firms are grappling with a squeeze on margins amid persistent macroeconomic headwinds and rising pressure from AI-driven productivity improvements, with the first quarter of FY26 reflecting a shift to aggressive internal cost control measures, analysts said. From deferring pay hikes to trimming sales and admin costs, companies are pulling all levers to sustain profitability as deal momentum remains weak. Experts believe the pressure on margins is unlikely to ease in the near term, even if revenue improves modestly due to pent-up demand, according to an ET report. 'The sector is entering a negotiator's market,' said Nitin Bhatt, technology sector leader at EY India. 'Margin pressures will worsen with investments in new sales and go-to-market motions, solution-building, reskilling, and in some cases, discounts to protect the current estate.' AI-linked pricing changes are further complicating margin dynamics. 'IT firms are shifting from time & material to outcome-based pricing for AI projects, linking fees to business impact like cost savings or efficiency gains. This may pressure short-term margins but promotes high-value, long-term engagements,' Bhatt said. Brokerage firm Emkay Research cited HCLTech's management commentary noting generative AI's impact: 25–30% efficiency gains in software development, up to 50% in business processes, and up to 75% headcount reduction in contact centres due to conversational AI. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like A genetic disorder that is damaging his organs. Help my son Donate For Health Donate Now Undo For the first time in several quarters, HCLTech revised its margin guidance downward—from 18%-19% to 17%-18%—which analysts flagged as a negative surprise. 'Margin guidance came in as a negative surprise to the Street since HCLT has been keeping margin guidance intact despite changes in revenue target for the past few quarters,' said Elara Capital. At Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), rising employee costs—due to fresh hiring and mid-quarter benefits—impacted margins by 80 basis points in Q1FY26. Employee cost now forms nearly 59.45% of TCS's revenue, even as attrition remains elevated at 13.8%. 'FY26 is margin protection and margin expansion year,' said Gaurav Vasu, CEO of UnearthInsight. 'Growth, especially in the US and core verticals, is weak across the board. Large deal wins are not yet translating to revenue acceleration, so lead indicators (pipeline, bookings) matter—but execution and conversion will be critical in H2 FY26.' Vasu said top-tier IT companies are resorting to tight operational controls, including deferring salary hikes, cutting variable pay, and closely managing bench strength. He forecast modest revenue growth of 3–5% for FY26, with geopolitical risks, US tariffs, and a slowing global economy delaying recovery in client spends. Stock research firm InCred Equities noted that client delays in finalising long-term digital deals were increasing. 'Deal conversations are underway but advisory-led proposals with long-term roadmaps have complex constructs and are elongating the decision timeframe,' it said. While the deal pipeline is robust, it remains a 'negotiator's market,' InCred added, where agility and pricing flexibility are critical. Clients continue to demand 'more for less'—optimising legacy spends to fund smaller AI-led projects. This shift is driving vendor consolidation and heightening competitive pressure. 'Building margin expansion for FY26F could be aggressive,' InCred warned, citing tighter client budgets, slower staffing cycles and intense competition. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
HCL Tech Share Price Live Updates: HCL Tech's closing price today is Rs 1530.4
21 Jul 2025 | 03:39:26 PM IST Discover the HCL Tech Stock Liveblog, your go-to destination for real-time updates and comprehensive analysis of a top-performing stock. Keep track of HCL Tech's latest details, including: Last traded price 1530.4, Market capitalization: 415082.21, Volume: 3368078, Price-to-earnings ratio 24.47, Earnings per share 62.56. Our liveblog offers a holistic view of HCL Tech by examining both fundamental and technical indicators. Stay ahead of market trends with breakingnews that can impact HCL Tech's performance. Our market analysis and expert opinions provide valuable insights to guide your investment decisions. Join us on the HCL Tech Stock Liveblog and stay informed in this dynamic market landscape. The data points are updated as on 03:39:26 PM IST, 21 Jul 2025 Show more
Mint
6 days ago
- Business
- Mint
TCS vs HCL Tech vs Wipro: Which IT stock offers a better opportunity now?
After the announcement of the financial results for the April-June quarter of the fiscal year 2025-26 (Q1FY26), major Indian information technology (IT) firms have gained significant attention in the latest market sessions. As investors on D-Street weigh their options for buying, selling, or holding IT stocks at this moment, market analysts favour Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), followed by HCL Technologies Ltd (HCL Tech), with Wipro coming in third after their latest Q1FY26 earnings report. Wipro announced on Thursday, July 17, a 9.8% increase in its consolidated profit after tax, reaching ₹ 3,336.5 crore for the June quarter. This is an increase from a profit after tax of ₹ 3,036.6 crore reported in the same quarter last year, as stated in the company's regulatory filing. The consolidated revenue from operations for Wipro rose slightly to ₹ 22,134.6 crore during the April-June period, compared to ₹ 21,963.8 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year. HCL Technologies revealed on Monday, July 14, a 9.7% drop in its consolidated net profit for the June quarter, affected by rising expenses and the one-off impact of a client's insolvency. The company disclosed a net profit (attributable to the company's owners) of ₹ 4,257 crore during the same quarter last year, according to a regulatory announcement. In the reviewed quarter, revenue from operations grew by 8.1%, amounting to ₹ 30,349 crore, compared to ₹ 28,057 crore in Q1FY25. The firm reported an operating margin of 16.3%, which did not meet their expectations. While Q1 has generally been their weakest quarter, the lower-than-expected operating margin was mainly due to a decline in utilization resulting from delays in the ramp-up of a specific program. On Thursday, July 10, TCS reported a 6% growth in its net profit for the June quarter, totaling ₹ 12,760 crore. A year earlier, the Tata group company had posted a net profit of ₹ 12,040 crore. The firm's revenue increased by 1.3%, reaching ₹ 63,437 crore, compared to ₹ 62,613 crore for the same quarter last year, though it saw a 3% decline when assessed on a constant currency basis. A company statement noted that its operating profit margin rose by 0.30 percent sequentially, now at 24.5% for the April-June timeframe. According to Seema Srivastava, Senior Research Analyst at SMC Global Securities, TCS, HCL Tech, and Wipro present distinct risk-reward profiles based on their Q1 FY26 performance and strategic posture. Srivastava believes TCS remains the most stable among the three, with strong operating (24.5%) and net margins (20.1%), and nearly perfect operating cash conversion (100.3%). Its robust Q1 TCV of $9.4 billion, focus on AI, and steady growth in BFSI and tech services indicate enduring client trust and adaptability. Despite muted YoY revenue growth (1.3%), TCS's margin resilience and high RoCE make it a safe, large-cap investment ideal for conservative investors seeking steady compounding and dividend payouts. Talking about HCL Tech said that while showing healthy revenue growth (8.2% YoY), saw a sharp EBIT margin contraction to 16.3% (from 19.4% in Q4 FY25), primarily due to wage hikes and AI investments. However, its free cash flow at 121% of net income and strong deal wins ($1.812B) suggest the margin dip may be transitory. HCL Tech also benefits from robust traction in telecom/media and Americas. Investors with a medium-risk appetite may find it appealing due to its strong fundamentals and growth initiatives in engineering/R&D and GenAI. Seema explained that Wipro, though improving in bookings ($2.666B, up 131% YoY), remains a laggard in revenue growth (0.8% YoY) and showed QoQ revenue/margin decline. Yet, its focus on GenAI and operational efficiency led to a 10% YoY profit growth. With a 15% net margin and strong cash flow (123% of net profit), Wipro might offer turnaround potential, suitable for value-oriented investors willing to bet on a cyclical upturn. Overall, TCS stands out for stability, HCL Tech for balanced growth, and Wipro for potential upside with higher risk. Anshul Jain, Head of Research at Lakshmishree Investment said that the Indian IT space is showing mixed signals, with large-cap names like TCS, HCL Tech, and Wipro trading at critical levels. Here's a breakdown of how each is positioned and which one presents the better opportunity right now. Jain explained that TCS share price is currently trading around its key support level of ₹ 3,177. The stock is showing signs of weakness, and a breach below this level could accelerate selling pressure, dragging it down toward ₹ 3,000. Until the support holds and there's clear evidence of buying, TCS remains vulnerable. HCL Tech shares has recently closed a price gap near ₹ 1,600. The next gap lies in the ₹ 1,526– ₹ 1,482 range — a zone where buyers could step in. If bullish price action develops around this area, it may offer a short-term bounce back to ₹ 1,650. Traders should watch closely for reversal signals before entering, according to Anshul Jain. Wipro, meanwhile, has been consolidating in a tight range between ₹ 275 and ₹ 235 for the last 78 days. This setup makes it the most straightforward trade among the three. A decisive breakout above ₹ 275 would signal fresh momentum and offer a clean buying opportunity, belives Jain. Wipro share price looks most promising on a breakout above ₹ 275. HCL Tech shares is worth watching for a bounce near its gap support. TCS share price remains weak and should be avoided unless ₹ 3,177 holds firmly. 'Short-term, Wipro offers the best potential, but only above the breakout level,' said Jain. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
