Salil Parekh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys, has witnessed a substantial increase in his remuneration for the financial year 2024–25 (FY25), with his total compensation climbing to ₹80.62 crore. This marks a 21.6 per cent jump from his previous year’s salary of ₹66.25 crore, according to Infosys’ recently released Annual Report.

The rise in Parekh’s earnings has brought renewed attention to executive compensation in India’s IT sector, particularly in the context of Infosys' moderate revenue growth and flat profit margins.

As detailed in the Infosys FY25 Annual Report, Parekh’s earnings include ₹7.45 crore as fixed base salary, ₹0.49 crore in retiral benefits, and ₹23.18 crore as performance-linked bonus or variable pay. However, the most significant portion of his total compensation—₹49.5 crore—comes from the perquisite value of stock options exercised during the year.

The ₹49.5 crore figure reflects the value realised from exercising 3,06,276 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) granted under Infosys’ stock incentive programme. This large equity-linked component underlines the company’s reliance on stock-based rewards to align executive pay with long-term shareholder value.

Compared to his industry peers, Parekh now stands among the highest-paid executives in India’s IT sector. Wipro CEO Srinivas Pallia reportedly earned USD 6.2 million (approximately ₹53.64 crore) in FY25, while Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) CEO K Krithivasan earned ₹26.52 crore during the same period.

Infosys’ top brass, however, reflects contrasting approaches to compensation. Notably, Infosys Chairman Nandan M Nilekani has voluntarily chosen not to accept any remuneration for his services rendered to the company. This continues his long-standing practice of eschewing a salary since returning to the company’s board in a leadership capacity.

The remuneration disclosure comes in the wake of Infosys posting a modest 1.8 per cent increase in net profit for FY25, reaching ₹26,713 crore. Revenue for the year rose by 6.06 per cent to ₹1,62,990 crore, slightly exceeding its earlier full-year guidance of 4.5 to 5 per cent growth.

While the numbers show some resilience, Infosys, like many of its peers, continues to navigate global macroeconomic challenges, a cautious client spending environment, and the accelerating shift towards digital and AI-led transformation.

Parekh, who took over as CEO in January 2018, has been credited with stabilising Infosys after a turbulent leadership transition and strengthening its global positioning in digital services and cloud transformation.

The annual report also reinforces Infosys’ commitment to corporate governance and transparency, with detailed disclosures on executive compensation, stock grants, and board responsibilities. The company has regularly highlighted that its performance-linked rewards are closely aligned with metrics such as revenue growth, margin expansion, and client satisfaction.

Additionally, under Parekh’s leadership, Infosys has publicly committed to several ESG and DEI goals, and executive pay is increasingly being linked to such long-term sustainability and inclusivity indicators.