HCLTech CEO C Vijayakumar's Earnings of USD 10.85 Million Surpass TCS and Infosys Leaders in FY25

HCLTech CEO C. Vijayakumar earned USD 10.85 million, approximately Rs 94.6 crore, in the financial year 2024-25. This makes him one of the highest-paid executives in India's IT sector, surpassing the earnings of leaders at larger competitors like TCS and Infosys. The company's board has approved a significant increase in his remuneration to USD 18.6 million, or about Rs 154 crore, for the next financial year.

Vijayakumar's compensation for FY25 places him ahead of peers at India's top IT firms. TCS CEO K Krithivasan earned Rs 26.52 crore, while Infosys CEO Salil Parekh received Rs 80.62 crore during the same period. His earnings also exceeded those of Wipro CEO Srinivas Pallia, who made USD 6.2 million or about Rs 53.64 crore, and Tech Mahindra CEO Mohit Joshi, who earned Rs 53.9 crore.

CEO Compensation and Market Growth

According to HCLTech's annual report, Vijayakumar's total remuneration for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, included a base salary of USD 1.96 million and a performance-linked bonus of USD 1.73 million. The largest portion came from long-term incentives, with exercised Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) valued at USD 6.96 million. He also received USD 0.20 million in benefits and perquisites.

Under Vijayakumar's leadership since 2016, HCLTech's market capitalisation has grown from Rs 1,15,000 crore to Rs 4,32,000 crore by March 31, 2025. This represents a growth of 3.8 times since FY16. In comparison, the market capitalisation of the other four leading Indian listed IT services firms among the top five has increased by approximately 2.5 times over the same period.

Revised Remuneration Package

The company's board has approved a revised remuneration package for Vijayakumar starting April 1, 2025. The proposed annual salary is set at USD 18.6 million, marking a substantial increase of 71 per cent from his FY25 earnings. This new structure significantly enhances both fixed and performance-linked components.

The revised compensation acknowledges Vijayakumar's successful and long-tenured leadership as CEO and recognises his significant contributions to HCLTech's growth and sustained performance over the years.

Financial Performance

HCL Technologies reported a consolidated net profit drop of 9.7 per cent to Rs 3,843 crore for the June quarter due to higher expenses and a one-time client bankruptcy impact. However, the company raised its revenue growth outlook for the full fiscal year to between 3-5 per cent from an earlier estimate of 2-5 per cent based on booking expectations in upcoming quarters.

On Friday, HCLTech shares closed at Rs 1,452.95 each on the BSE, reflecting a decline of 0.98 per cent.

With inputs from PTI