HCL Tech Headcount: Amid IT layoffs, Noida-based firm adds 3,489 employees in Q2 FY26; attrition at 12.6%

HCL Technologies announced its Q2 FY26 results today, showing a clear divergence from the broader IT industry trend of job cuts.

While peers such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) trimmed their workforce significantly, HCL Tech continued to expand its employee base, supported by strong fresher hiring and improved retention.

As of September 30, 2025, the company’s total headcount stood at 226,640, marking a net addition of 3,489 employees from 223,151 in the previous quarter.

This increase comes after a marginal decline of 269 employees in Q1 FY26. Over the past year, HCL Tech’s workforce has grown from 218,621 in Q2 FY25 to 226,640 in Q2 FY26, demonstrating consistent growth momentum.

Fresher Hiring at a High, Attrition Eases

HCL Tech maintained strong campus hiring during the quarter, adding 5,196 freshers compared to 1,984 in Q1 FY26. The company’s technical workforce rose to 212,412, while sales and support staff totalled 14,228.

Attrition continued to moderate, with the last twelve months (LTM) attrition rate at 12.6 per cent, an improvement from 12.8 per cent in Q1 FY26 and 12.9 per cent in the same quarter last year.

The company clarified that attrition excludes involuntary exits and employees from its Digital Process Operations (DPO) segment.

HCL Tech also made steady progress in diversity. Women employees now form 29.3 per cent of the total workforce, up from 28.8 per cent in the previous quarter — a modest but positive step in improving gender balance within the organisation.

Read More: HCL Tech Q2 Results: Revenue up 5.2%, net profit rises 10.2% QoQ; Rs 12 dividend declared 

Contrast with TCS’s Workforce Decline

While HCL Tech expanded, its close peer, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), saw a sharp decline in headcount. TCS’s total workforce dropped by 19,755 employees in Q2 FY26 — from 6,13,069 in June 2025 to 5,93,314 in September 2025.

This reduction was about 66 per cent higher than its planned layoffs, as the company realigned operations to match evolving business conditions.

Read More: HCLTech Dividend: 600% cash reward announced—Check out record date and payment date

HCL Tech Q2 FY26 Results

HCL Technologies, India’s third-largest IT services company, reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 4,235 crore for Q2 FY26, up 10.2 per cent from Rs 3,843 crore in the previous quarter.

The company’s revenue from operations rose 5.2 per cent to Rs 31,942 crore, compared to Rs 30,349 crore in Q1 FY26. In constant currency (CC) terms, revenue grew 2.5 per cent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) and 4.6 per cent year-on-year (YoY).

HCL Tech Interim Dividend Announced

HCL Technologies’ Board of Directors declared an interim dividend of Rs 12 per equity share (face value Rs 2) for FY26. The record date for the dividend is October 17, 2025, and the payment date is set for October 28, 2025.