Infosys has allegedly started laying off around 700 campus recruits who joined in October 2024, according to the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), an organization advocating for IT employees. NITES president Harpreet Singh Saluja condemned the move as unethical and claimed that the company was forcibly terminating fresh hires. He announced plans to file a complaint with India’s Labour Ministry, urging intervention against what he described as an unjust termination process.
While NITES reports that nearly 700 employees have been dismissed, Infosys has countered these claims, stating that only around 350 trainees were affected. The company justified the layoffs by citing repeated failures in internal assessments, noting that freshers were given three attempts to clear the tests, as per their contracts. However, affected employees argue that Infosys altered the assessment syllabus and criteria midway, making the process unfair. Reports indicate that batches of around 400 employees were called in and issued ultimatums, further fueling concerns over transparency.
Adding to the controversy, NITES has accused Infosys of using intimidation tactics during the termination process, including deploying security personnel to prevent employees from documenting events or seeking help. Many of the impacted workers belong to the 2022 engineering batch, who had already faced a two-year wait before being onboarded. With salaries initially promised between Rs 3.2-3.7 lakh annually for system engineer roles, their abrupt dismissal has raised serious concerns. NITES has urged government intervention, citing possible violations of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, and emphasizing the need to protect IT workers from exploitative practices.