Wipro Restarts Salary Increments for Employees from March 1, Ending Long Hiatus

After a one-year delay since its last increment cycle in September 2024, Wipro will finally start giving out pay rises to staff on March 1, 2026. The corporation has not revealed the exact percentage rise, but the decision was conveyed internally to staff. Various media reports went on to say that Wipro has not responded to media enquiries as of the publishing date.

The decision signifies a significant change for India’s fourth-largest exporter of IT services. Previously, the sector has refrained from base pay increases due to low global demand, geopolitical unpredictability, and clients’ reduced technology budgets.

Wipro Following its Counterparts

This fresh start is necessary since competitors have taken different approaches to pay. After postponing its cycle from April to September, Tata Consultancy Services instituted pay rises for a significant portion of its employees ranging from 2% to 8%. Most staff received raises of 5% to 8% as Infosys gradually implemented increments. Cognizant, on the other hand, delayed increases for a while before picking them back up later in the year. Financial results were all over the place, which contributed to Wipro's decision.

The December quarter saw a 7% decline in net profit to INR 3,145 crore, despite a 5.5% year-on-year increase in revenue to INR 23,555.8 crore. As a result of the ongoing uncertainty in the operating environment, management presented cautious guidance for the following quarter. Chief Human Resources Officer Saurabh Govil of Wipro stated that management was still considering when to implement salary hikes during the company's January third-quarter results call. He elaborated by saying that a decision would be made by the management team following the Davos World Economic Forum conference. Back then, he was hinting that a decision was imminent at the corporation.

Wipro Continued Paying Variable Compensation

Wipro maintained payment of variable compensation even as increases to basic salaries were postponed. Following payouts of more than 90% in the first two quarters, the corporation has announced a 100% payout of quarterly variable pay for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. This payout will be distributed with the February salary. Wage growth normalisation as demand stabilises is the larger concern for Wipro and the sector.

Govil has already pointed out that the sector is hesitant to increase entry-level pay until market conditions improve. This stance is is taken as fresher remuneration is still limited by demand-supply dynamics. As Indian IT services companies keep juggling talent retention with a still-fragile expenditure forecast, March's rollout by Wipro suggests a cautious return to increments.