Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) CEO and Managing Director K Krithivasan received a total remuneration of Rs 26.52 crore in the financial year 2025 (FY25), marking an increase of approximately 4.6 percent compared to the previous fiscal year, according to the company’s annual report.

Krithivasan’s compensation package comprised a base salary of Rs 1.39 crore, benefits, perquisites and allowances amounting to Rs 2.12 crore, and a substantial Rs 23 crore in commissions. This increase reflects the growing importance of performance-linked pay within the Indian IT giant, which remains the country’s largest software exporter.

Despite this pay hike for the CEO, TCS opted to defer the general wage increase for its vast workforce of over 6 lakh employees, citing the prevailing uncertain business climate. The annual salary increments for most employees, usually implemented from April 1 every year, will now be deferred and reassessed based on the evolving business environment.

Krithivasan’s total package is significant but still below some of his peers in the Indian IT sector. For example, as per FY24 data, HCL Technologies CEO C. Vijayakumar was the highest-paid IT CEO in India with earnings of Rs 84.16 crore, while Infosys CEO Salil Parekh received Rs 66.25 crore. Wipro’s newly appointed CEO Srini Pallia commanded a package close to Rs 50 crore.

In other leadership changes, TCS announced the appointment of Aarthi Subramanian as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and a Key Managerial Personnel in Q4FY25, succeeding the retiring NG Subramaniam (NGS). Subramanian’s base salary will range from Rs 10.8 lakh to Rs 15 lakh per month, effective May 1, 2025. Meanwhile, NGS earned Rs 11.55 crore in FY25, down significantly from Rs 26.18 crore in FY24, a sum higher than Krithivasan’s package during the same period.

The company reported a 6.3 per cent increase in median employee remuneration for FY25, with the average salary increase ranging between 4.5 to 7 per cent. Top performers in India reportedly received double-digit increments. Globally, wage increases varied from 1.5 to 6 per cent depending on the country. The company’s total headcount stood at 6,07,979 at the end of FY25.

According to the report, the increases in pay align with market trends in various countries where TCS operates. The firm’s remuneration structure emphasises linking performance pay to organisational results, individual utilisation, and individual achievements, ensuring compensation reflects business success.

Krithivasan’s ratio of CEO remuneration to median employee pay stood at 329.8, underlining the significant pay gap typical in large multinational corporations. The median remuneration refers to the average salary of all employees at the company.