India’s top five IT services firms now have over 250,000 employees trained in advanced AI skills, as AI and generative AI (GenAI) are central to productivity and efficiency goals amid global economic uncertainty.
These companies have already trained most of their workforce in basic AI capabilities and are now shifting toward higher-order AI skills, which are essential for delivering specialized client outcomes.
India’s Top IT Firms Gear Up with 2.5 Lakh+ Employees Trained in Advanced AI Skills
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has around 114,000 employees with advanced AI skills. The company aims to build a “skills pyramid” where each level includes domain-specific specializations such as agentic AI and sectors like manufacturing and life sciences.
HCLTech has trained about 42,000 employees as advanced GenAI users, with 12,000 of them actively working on GenAI projects. This momentum has increased significantly in the last two quarters, according to Chief People Officer Ram Sundararajan.
Wipro reports over 87,000 employees with higher-order AI skills.
Infosys and Tech Mahindra did not provide a specific breakdown but stated that 290,000 (Infosys) and 77,000 (Tech Mahindra) employees, respectively, have basic AI training. Tech Mahindra noted that a significant portion of these are also trained at advanced levels.
Infosys categorizes its workforce into AI-aware, AI-builders, and AI-masters, where the latter two use cloud-based models or build/fine-tune models themselves, though no exact numbers are given for each category.
Analysts Say True Bottom-Up AI Transformation Still Missing in Indian IT Giants
Analysts acknowledge that while the training is a step forward, true bottom-up AI transformation is still lacking across these firms.
According to Phil Fersht, CEO of HfS Research, progress is evident in using GenAI for programming areas like testing and app development. However, Indian IT companies are too focused on IT processes, while demand is shifting toward business-led AI applications. He suggests they need to build capabilities in broader business process areas.
Some industry experts are skeptical about whether this advanced AI training is actually translating into revenue or profit, especially as the industry transitions from a traditional billable model to an outcome-based one.
A former senior IT executive questioned the credibility of the “advanced skills” claims, noting the lack of clarity on what the training actually entails—whether it’s workshops, immersive learning, or self-paced certifications—making comparisons difficult.
Kamal Karanth, co-founder of staffing firm Xpheno, raised questions about the ongoing replacement of 12–15% of talent each quarter despite the surge in AI-skilled employees. He questions whether AI deals are truly outcome-driven.
Karanth also pointed out contradictions: if companies are signing outcome-based AI contracts, why are they still replacing headcount and increasing employee costs?
TCS’s employee cost rose to 47.6% of revenue in Q1 FY26, compared to 46% in the same quarter the previous year.
Peter Bendor-Samuel, founder of Everest Group, observed that AI’s contribution to growth is “mixed.” While advanced AI gives some firms an edge in securing new business, it is also cannibalizing existing revenue. He notes that the top firms are advancing together, and no clear leader has emerged.
