While large parts of India's IT services sector have spent 2026 in a hiring slowdown, Infosys has been notably consistent on one number: 20,000. That's the fresher-hiring target the company has reaffirmed multiple times this year for FY27 (April 2026–March 2027), even as its overall headcount has moved in the opposite direction.

What the company has said

Infosys CFO Jayesh Sanghrajka confirmed the company had already brought in more than 20,000 freshers from the market during FY26, and that the target for FY27 remains the same. CEO Salil Parekh later reaffirmed the plan directly, saying Infosys had already onboarded around 4,000 graduates in the first quarter of FY27 alone, according to reporting from Outlook Business.

The headcount dip behind the headline

That fresher commitment sits alongside a net headcount decline. Infosys's total headcount fell by about 8,440 in the March 2026 quarter, down to roughly 3,28,594 employees — a drop the company attributed to seasonal, volume-driven factors rather than a broader pullback. People Matters also reported that attrition at the company has dropped to around 12.6%, one of its lower rates in recent years, alongside the reaffirmed fresher target and a phased salary hike rollout starting in October.

Why the split matters

It's a useful reminder that "Indian IT hiring" isn't one uniform story this year. Overall net headcount additions across the sector have been thin, and several large firms have run visible layoff or restructuring rounds. But campus and entry-level hiring has moved somewhat independently of senior and mid-level headcount, because fresher cohorts are cheaper, easier to train into AI-augmented delivery models, and tied to long-running campus relationships that companies are reluctant to disrupt even in a slow year.

What it means if you're job hunting

• Campus and early-career channels are still active at large IT services firms, even when experienced-hire postings look frozen. If you're a recent graduate, the campus/off-campus drive pipeline is a more productive channel right now than cold-applying to experienced roles.
• Lower attrition cuts both ways. It signals stability, but it also means fewer vacancies open up from people leaving — expect more competition for the roles that do open.
• Salary hikes are being staggered, with senior employees reportedly seeing increments later (from January) than the broader base. If you're negotiating an offer or a raise this cycle, ask specifically when any increase takes effect, not just what the number is.

None of this guarantees Infosys hits 20,000 exactly, or that other large IT firms will follow the same pattern. But for now, it's one of the clearer public commitments to fresher hiring from a major Indian IT employer in a year that's otherwise been dominated by headcount-reduction headlines.