Key takeaways
- Wipro added 6,529 employees in Q3 FY26, reaching a total headcount of 242,021.
- Attrition rates eased to 14.2%, indicating stabilization in employee turnover.
- Despite workforce growth, Wipro's net profit fell 4% quarter-on-quarter amid profitability challenges.
- The company plans to cautiously hire 10,000 freshers, depending on the business environment.
- Wipro contrasts with peers like TCS and Infosys, showcasing differing workforce strategies amid uneven demand.
Wipro increased its workforce in the December quarter. It added 6,529 employees in Q3 FY26, as fresher onboarding picked up pace amid modest improvement in business activity. The company’s total headcount stood at 2,42,021 at the end of the quarter.
The rise in employee numbers comes even as the company reported a decline in profitability during the quarter. Net profit fell 4% quarter-on-quarter and 7% year-on-year to ₹3,119 crore. Its IT services operating margin improved to 17.6%.
Attrition moderated slightly during the quarter, easing to 14.2% on a trailing 12 month basis from 14.9% in the previous quarter. It indicates a gradual stabilisation in employee churn after prolonged pressure across the sector.
Earlier, the management had indicated that hiring plans for FY26 would remain cautious. While Wipro intends to hire 10,000 freshers through campus recruitment, a number similar to its FY25 target, it said final decisions would depend on how the business environment evolves amid continuing macroeconomic uncertainty.
Operationally, utilisation showed some softening. Wipro’s utilisation rate, excluding trainees, declined to 83.1% in Q3 from 86.4% in Q2. It reflects higher intake of freshers and near-term bench build-up.
The headcount increase stands in contrast to its peers in the industry. TCS reported a decline of over 11,000 employees in Q3, while Infosys added 5,043 employees. It underscores divergent workforce strategies among large Indian IT firms as demand remains uneven.
The company has set up 50 Centres of Excellence across universities to upskill graduates. “We work closely with universities on specific curriculum areas such as AI, cybersecurity, data, and engineering, and hire talent from these programmes,” Saurabh Govil, chief human resources officer, said. “The future will involve an AI-plus-human model, with new roles emerging due to AI.”
That said, the campus recruitment remains muted. The company said it plans to ramp up campus hiring to about 2,500 people in Q4.
Meanwhile, CFO Aparna C. Iyer said margin expansion reflected tighter execution and added that strong operating cash flow, at 135% of net income, supported the company’s financial position during the quarter.
