TCS Plans to Hire 15,000 Employees in the US Over Five Years

Key takeaways

• 15,000 additional US hires: TCS plans to expand its American workforce over the next five years.
• Local recruitment remains central: The company says its strategy relies on local talent and campus recruitment.
• PERM suspension: The US government has suspended the company’s participation in the employment-based permanent labour certification programme.
• Limited recent applications: TCS said its PERM applications were in single digits over the previous two years.
• 31 US offices and delivery centres: The company says it has an established local operating presence across the country.
• No guaranteed hiring breakdown: TCS has not specified the annual recruitment schedule, roles, locations or division of the 15,000 jobs in the cited announcement.

Why is TCS planning 15,000 new jobs in the US?

TCS’s hiring plan is part of its strategy to strengthen its presence in one of the world’s largest technology services markets. American companies are major customers for IT services providers, purchasing support for software development, cloud migration, cybersecurity, data analytics, artificial intelligence and enterprise technology systems.

Hiring locally allows TCS to build teams closer to customers, recruit graduates from American universities and reduce reliance on moving employees across borders for every project. It can also help the company respond to client requirements involving local staffing, industry knowledge, communication and regulatory compliance.

The company has not described the 15,000 positions as a single hiring drive. Instead, it intends to add employees over five years, suggesting a phased workforce expansion. The exact pace will depend on business demand, client projects, available talent and the company’s operational requirements.

TCS has also emphasized campus recruitment as part of its local hiring strategy. Campus hiring typically involves recruiting students or recent graduates and training them for roles in software engineering, consulting, business operations and other technology-related functions.

This approach can give the company a pipeline of early-career employees who can develop their skills within its internal training programmes. However, TCS has not publicly specified how many of the planned positions will be allocated to graduates versus experienced professionals.

The distinction matters because a 15,000-person hiring target does not necessarily mean 15,000 entry-level technology jobs. The total could include a range of technical, consulting, delivery and business-support positions, depending on the company’s needs.

How the US PERM suspension affects TCS

The Permanent Labour Certification programme, commonly known as PERM, is administered by the US Department of Labor. It is generally a step in the employment-based green card process for eligible foreign workers, requiring employers to meet prescribed labour-market and procedural requirements.

On October 8, 2026, the US government announced the suspension of several technology companies from the programme. The companies named in reporting included TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech, Cognizant, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe. The action was connected to the administration’s scrutiny of employment-based immigration programmes and allegations of misuse.

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The suspension affects participation in the PERM process, including the handling of applications covered by the government’s action. It should not automatically be interpreted as a blanket ban on employing US workers or as a general prohibition on every form of work visa.

That distinction is important for understanding TCS’s response. The company said its PERM applications had been in single digits over the previous two years and therefore did not expect the suspension to materially affect its workforce strategy or customer engagements.

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TCS also said it would comply with any directions issued by the US Department of Labor.

Its position is that the company’s existing recruitment model is not heavily dependent on the PERM programme. Hiring American workers directly and recruiting local university graduates can continue to form part of its staffing strategy, subject to applicable employment laws and other regulatory requirements.

Nevertheless, the practical impact will depend on the final scope and duration of the suspension, the company’s future staffing needs and any subsequent government directions. The company’s statement reflects its current assessment, not a guarantee that the policy will have no operational consequences under every circumstance.

What is PERM, and why does it matter to Indian IT companies?

PERM is the labour certification process that employers generally use as part of sponsoring eligible foreign workers for certain employment-based green cards. It is distinct from the H-1B temporary work visa programme, although the two can be connected in an employee’s longer-term immigration journey.

An H-1B visa allows eligible employers to hire foreign professionals in qualifying specialty occupations under applicable rules. A green card, by contrast, provides lawful permanent resident status. PERM is one step in certain employment-based green card categories, rather than a visa that independently authorizes temporary employment.

For Indian IT services companies, these distinctions influence how employees are recruited, assigned to client projects and retained over time.

Large technology services firms have historically used a combination of local hiring, campus recruitment, international transfers and employment-based visa programmes to staff projects. The mix varies by company, role, client requirements and immigration rules.

A suspension affecting PERM can complicate some employees’ pathways to permanent residency through their employers. Depending on their circumstances, employees may need to consider other lawful options, while employers may need to review workforce planning and retention arrangements.

However, it does not follow that every Indian IT professional working in the US is affected in the same way. The consequences depend on the person’s immigration status, the stage of any application, the relevant legal category and the terms of the government’s action.

For TCS, the reported low number of recent PERM applications provides context for why the company expects limited disruption. It does not establish how many employees may be affected by other immigration rules or whether future hiring plans could change.

TCS’s local hiring strategy and US presence

TCS said it has built a significant local workforce across 31 offices and delivery centres in the United States. Its stated emphasis on local recruitment reflects the importance of maintaining a workforce that can support customers across different regions and industries.

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A delivery centre is a location where employees carry out technology services, consulting, software development, maintenance or other client-related work. Such centres can support distributed project teams and allow companies to serve customers across multiple time zones.

Expanding the local workforce can have several business advantages.

First, it can improve access to local talent. Recruiting graduates and experienced professionals in the US gives TCS access to a different talent pool and can help it fill roles requiring knowledge of local industries, customer operations or regulatory environments.

Second, local recruitment can improve staffing flexibility. Companies may be able to assign employees to client locations or projects without relying on international relocation for every position, although employment eligibility and client requirements still apply.

Third, it can strengthen customer relationships. Some clients prefer or require a meaningful local presence for sensitive projects, regulated industries or work involving frequent collaboration with business teams.

Fourth, it can help the company respond to changes in immigration policy. A workforce built around multiple recruitment channels may be less exposed to disruptions affecting any single visa or residency programme.

These advantages do not mean local hiring is always cheaper. Salaries, benefits, training, office expenses and competition for skilled workers can make US-based recruitment expensive. TCS must balance local staffing with project economics, productivity and client pricing.

The five-year period gives the company time to adjust recruitment according to business conditions. Still, without an annual target or detailed role breakdown, it is not possible to estimate how quickly the workforce will expand or which locations will receive the largest share of new positions.

What the hiring plan means for US workers and Indian employees

The planned recruitment could create opportunities for American graduates, software engineers, consultants and experienced technology professionals. The actual benefit will depend on the positions TCS opens, the skills it requires and the locations where jobs become available.

For graduates, campus recruitment can offer an entry point into technology services. These roles may involve software development, application support, cloud engineering, data analysis, cybersecurity or business consulting, depending on the employer’s requirements.

Experienced professionals could also benefit if the expansion includes specialist positions supporting complex enterprise projects. However, TCS has not announced a detailed list of job titles, salaries or eligibility requirements for the planned 15,000 positions.

For Indian technology workers, the development highlights the growing importance of understanding different employment pathways. Indian IT companies can recruit in India, hire locally in overseas markets and use immigration programmes where legally permitted. Changes to one pathway may affect some workers without necessarily stopping all recruitment or client delivery.

The announcement also reinforces a distinction between the location of a company’s headquarters and the location of its employment. Although TCS is headquartered in India, its global operations require it to recruit and manage employees across multiple markets.

The long-term employment impact will depend on whether the company converts its stated target into actual vacancies and completed hires. An announced hiring plan is not the same as a record of jobs already created.

How could the expansion affect TCS’s business?

A larger local workforce could help TCS compete for contracts that require substantial US-based delivery capabilities. It may also allow the company to develop closer relationships with clients that prefer teams operating within the same country.

For example, a bank undertaking a cloud migration may need technology specialists, cybersecurity professionals and consultants who can coordinate with its internal teams. A larger local workforce could give TCS additional options for assembling such teams, depending on employee skills and project requirements.

The potential financial impact is less certain. Hiring more people increases employee-related expenses, and the return depends on whether the new workforce generates sufficient billable work or supports strategic projects that produce future revenue.

If demand grows alongside recruitment, the additional employees could support business expansion. If demand is weaker than expected, hiring costs could put pressure on margins until the workforce is deployed productively.

The company has not disclosed a separate revenue target, investment amount or profitability forecast associated with the 15,000 hires. It would therefore be premature to estimate the financial contribution of the plan.

The expansion should be understood primarily as a workforce and market-positioning decision, rather than as a quantified revenue commitment.

The Bigger Picture

TCS’s plan to recruit 15,000 additional employees in the United States highlights how global IT services companies are adapting their workforce strategies to changing immigration rules and customer expectations. Local hiring provides an alternative to relying exclusively on international employee transfers and can strengthen access to talent in major technology markets.

The PERM suspension adds a regulatory dimension to the announcement, but TCS says its limited recent use of the programme should reduce the immediate effect on its hiring strategy. The eventual impact will depend on government directives, business demand and the company’s ability to recruit and deploy employees efficiently.

Looking Ahead

Over the next five years, the key measure will be how TCS converts its hiring target into actual recruitment. The company’s annual hiring figures, campus recruitment announcements, US job listings and workforce disclosures should provide a clearer picture of the pace and composition of the expansion. The distribution of roles across technical, consulting and business functions also remains to be established.

For the broader Indian IT industry, the development underscores the importance of flexible workforce planning. Companies that combine local recruitment, graduate training and legally compliant international staffing options may be better positioned to respond to regulatory changes, although the cost and effectiveness of each model will depend on the business and the market.

Frequently asked questions

1. How many employees does TCS plan to hire in the US?

TCS plans to hire an additional 15,000 employees in the United States over the next five years. The company has not disclosed a detailed annual hiring schedule for this target.

2. Why is TCS expanding local hiring in the US?

The company says its workforce strategy is anchored in local talent and campus recruitment. A larger local workforce can help it serve American customers, recruit graduates and reduce reliance on international employee transfers.

3. Will the US PERM suspension stop TCS from hiring American workers?

The PERM suspension concerns participation in a specific employment-based labour certification programme. It should not be treated as a blanket prohibition on hiring US workers. TCS has said the suspension is not expected to materially affect its workforce strategy.

4. Can Indian graduates apply for the 15,000 US jobs?

Potentially, depending on the roles and eligibility requirements. TCS has not published a complete breakdown of the planned vacancies or confirmed that all positions will be open to applicants from India. Candidates should check official TCS career listings for specific opportunities and work-authorization requirements.