TCS denies Nashik harassment claims, orders independent probe

MUMBAI, INDIA — Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has denied receiving any formal sexual harassment complaints at its Nashik BPO unit and has launched an independent investigation into allegations involving eight individuals, including an absconding former employee whom police have labeled the alleged “mastermind” of a religious conversion scheme targeting Hindu women.

In an exclusive statement to a Republic report, India’s largest IT services exporter distanced itself from accused ex-employee Nida Khan and said its internal channels show no record of complaints matching the claims now circulating in the press.

Independent probe led by Deloitte, Trilegal

TCS chief executive officer (CEO) and MD K. Krithivasan said the firm has moved quickly to establish an external review. 

According to the company’s statement, it has engaged expert teams from Deloitte and law firm Trilegal as independent counsel, with the internal investigation led by Aarthi Subramanian, TCS’s president and COO.

An oversight committee has also been formed under the chairmanship of Keki Mistry, an independent director at TCS. Findings from the internal probe will be presented to that panel for review and implementation of recommendations, the company said.

On the underlying allegations, TCS told Republic that a preliminary review of its systems indicates the firm has “not received any complaints of the nature that are being alleged” on either its ethics or POSH channels, though detailed reviews remain underway.

TCS clarifies Khan’s role, denies shutdown

The company also pushed back on widely circulated descriptions of Khan’s seniority. 

“Nida Khan, who is being repeatedly mentioned in the press as HR manager of TCS, is neither a HR manager nor responsible for recruitment. She served as a process associate and did not hold any leadership responsibilities,” TCS said.

Khan joined the Nashik BPO in December 2021 and is currently absconding, according to police, who said they are tracing her through technical surveillance and field operations.

TCS also dismissed reports that the facility had been closed.

“Our unit in Nashik continues to operate and serve our clients. Reports in the press about the unit being shut down are absolutely untrue,” TCS said.

Rising scrutiny on workplace culture in India’s IT-BPM sector

The case arrives at a delicate moment for India’s IT-BPM sector, which has weathered a string of workplace culture controversies in recent years. 

For delivery hubs in Tier-2 cities such as Nashik — increasingly central to global outsourcing strategies — reputational stability now matters as much as service uptime. 

How transparently TCS handles this probe is likely to set an informal benchmark for how industry peers manage similar crises, particularly as Western clients sharpen scrutiny of governance and employee welfare across offshore operations.