Talent Management
TCS delays onboarding of 600+ professionals indefinitely, triggering unrest
TCS faces criticism after hundreds of experienced professionals report indefinite onboarding delays without prior notice, leaving many unemployed.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is facing widespread criticism following reports that over 600 experienced professionals across India have been left without jobs after the company indefinitely delayed their onboarding without prior notice.
According to a representation submitted by the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) to the Union Labour and Employment Ministry, the affected individuals had resigned from their previous roles after receiving formal offer letters from TCS, many of which included confirmed joining dates. Upon arriving at designated company offices on their scheduled date, they were reportedly denied entry and informed that their names were not on the onboarding list.
The development affects professionals with 2 to 18 years of experience, spanning major IT hubs such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Delhi.
The details of the situation were first reported by EdexLive, which also confirmed that NITES has requested urgent government intervention. In its submission, the organisation termed the issue a "criminal breach of trust" and alleged that employees were turned away at company premises despite producing official documentation.
NITES has claimed that repeated attempts by affected individuals to reach out to TCS through official communication channels have gone unanswered. The employee group has also flagged the financial and personal toll of the onboarding delays, noting that many of the professionals had made irreversible arrangements based on the expectation of joining TCS, including relocation and household commitments.
The representation to the government includes a request for the Ministry of Labour and Employment to:
At the time of reporting, TCS has not released an official public statement regarding the claims or the status of the pending onboarding.
According to the representation submitted to the ministry, some of the affected candidates were recruited through direct outreach by TCS, while others applied through open roles and were issued formal offer letters. The majority of these candidates had prior employment and exited those positions in anticipation of a confirmed joining with TCS.
According to the representation submitted to the ministry, some of the affected candidates were recruited through direct outreach by TCS, while others applied through open roles and were issued formal offer letters. The majority of these candidates had prior employment and exited those positions in anticipation of a confirmed joining with TCS.
Unlike recent delays involving fresh graduate hiring seen across parts of the IT sector, this incident specifically impacts lateral hires—working professionals with existing careers who were recruited for mid- to senior-level roles.
The scale of the onboarding pause has raised concern about employment practices within the Indian IT services sector. NITES has stated that the number of affected individuals could increase if onboarding dates scheduled for August and September are also postponed.
As of 23 July 2025, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has not made a public statement in response to the petition. The matter remains under review, with NITES awaiting formal communication from the relevant authorities.
TCS, India’s largest IT services exporter by market capitalisation, has previously implemented staggered onboarding plans as part of broader workforce planning efforts. However, the current development appears to be the first such case involving large-scale onboarding delays of experienced hires in 2025.
The unfolding situation is being closely watched within the employment and legal ecosystem, particularly given the contractual implications of offer letters containing fixed joining dates. No court filings or legal notices related to the issue have been confirmed at the time of publishing.
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