TCS introduces new hiring tier to attract top campus talent

MUMBAI, INDIA—IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) recently unveiled a new hiring strategy to secure top-tier talent from the fresh graduate pool.
The initiative, termed “Prime,” offers annual compensation packages ranging from ₹ 9 lakh to ₹ 11 lakh (US$10,000 to US$13,000), a significant increase from the standard entry-level packages.
Addressing recruitment challenges in IT sector
TCS Global Head of Talent Acquisition Girish Nandimath explained that the Prime category aims to secure the best talent by offering competitive packages that encourage students to commit to TCS over other companies.
This move addresses the challenges associated with “dream” category offers, where students often consider other opportunities even after receiving an offer from TCS.
Meeting demands for emerging tech skills
The introduction of the Prime category is driven by the need for talent proficient in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), generative AI, and machine learning.
Nandimath highlighted the requirement for individuals with strong programming and coding skills to support TCS’s product business, strategic growth areas, and research units.
“We have [a] product business, we have strategic growth businesses, research units, and here we need such high talent,” he added.
Expanding recruitment beyond traditional segments
Previously, TCS’s Prime hiring was limited to research and innovation segments. However, the company has now expanded this category to include several top-tier institutes.
This expansion follows the successful introduction of the Ninja and Digital categories in the 2019-20 recruitment cycle, which offered ₹ 3.6 lakh and ₹ 7 lakh ($4,000 to $8,000) packages, respectively
Future hiring plans and strategic goals
TCS plans to hire 40,000 fresh graduates in the 2024-2025 period, with the Prime category playing a crucial role in attracting top talent.
While specific numbers for Prime hires have not been disclosed, the company has seen positive outcomes with its Digital hires, which have increased significantly over the past four years.
Candidates recruited under the Digital or Prime categories generally require less training and demonstrate higher readiness for billable work, leading to improved productivity.
TCS Vice President and Chief Learning Officer Janardhan Santhanam emphasized that starting in the Ninja category does not limit upward mobility, as TCS believes in every candidate’s potential.