As TCS, a global IT consulting company, anticipates a surge in demand for AI offerings, it’s all set to skill its workforce. The company will provide training on Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to its extensive workforce of over 5 lakh software engineers.
The decision came after the company revealed its quarter-end results.
While acknowledging that GenAI is in its early stages as a business opportunity, with currently smaller use cases, the company mentioned to the media that it has been actively engaged in 250 Gen-AI powered projects. Additionally, the insights gained from GenAI are also being utilised to enhance the efficiency of ongoing client projects.
The company has made significant investments to not only equip its workforce with necessary skills but also form strategic partnerships.
The company hasn’t revealed the exact timeline for completing the GenAI skillset training. However, it highlighted the rapid pace of training, citing the successful training of over 1.50 lakh staff members in approximately seven months.
Recently, TCS saw its employee base shrink by 5,680 in the three months ending December, bringing the total to 6.03 lakhs. This follows a similar decline in the previous quarter. The company attributed the reduction to maintaining efficiency in a ‘reduced demand’ environment, suggesting voluntary attrition rather than layoffs.
However, the future of campus hiring remains up in the air. Unlike previous years, TCS hasn’t set a target for freshers in the coming financial year. Despite the shrinking headcount, TCS is confident in its talent strategy. The company’s focus remains on upskilling and internal talent development, highlighting its training programmes for Generative AI and other emerging technologies. Additionally, the company plans to pay 100 per cent variable pay to 70 per cent of its employees, including junior and mid-level staff, indicating strong financial performance.
