Getting people back to office was among toughest challenges: TCS' Lakkad

Lakkad and Kunnumul talk about talent, technology, transition, and what lies ahead for TCS's 600,000+ workforce

As Milind Lakkad prepares to hand over the reins to Sudeep Kunnumal after more than six years as chief human resources officer (CHRO) — and a 38-year career at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) — he looks back on a tenure defined by the pandemic, the Great Resignation, sweeping organisational shifts, and the company’s evolving focus on AI. In a joint conversation following TCS’ first quarter earnings in 2025-26, Lakkad and Kunnumal speak with Shivani Shinde in Mumbai about talent, technology, transition, and what’s next for the IT giant’s 600,000-strong workforce. Edited excerpts:

 

How do you look back on your 38 years at TCS, especially the 6.5 years as CHRO?

 

Lakkad: It’s definitely a very different feeling. These 38 years have been an incredibly fulfilling journey. I’m filled with gratitude for the opportunities I’ve received and for everything I’ve been able to contribute. I’m also grateful for colleagues like Aarthi (Subramanian; COO), K Krithivasan (CEO), and Chandra (N Chandrasekaran; chairman, Tata Sons). I’ve known them for so long, and our relationship has been more than just professional.

 

When I took over as CHRO in 2019, the first major challenge was Covid. The first 18 months were extremely difficult — it was a crash course in HR. Then came the Great Resignation. Attrition touched 20 per cent, something we’d never seen before at TCS. We had to manage that, rehire, and adapt quickly.

 

The early years were all about reacting to disruptions — whether it was attrition, leadership transitions, or business uncertainty.

But through it all, the lesson has been: How do you take care of every stakeholder? You have to support people, manage costs, and still deliver healthy margins. What I really cherish is how we came together during the toughest of times.

 

One of the toughest challenges was getting people back to the office. It took longer than we expected, but the level of

engagement across HR and business teams made it possible. It wouldn’t have happened without strong leadership. 

 

TCS has long had India’s largest employee base. Do you see that changing over time?

 

Lakkad: In life too, we sometimes take things for granted. The same applies to TCS, but that cannot be the case forever. I firmly believe the nature of jobs will change, but opportunities will also increase.

 

Kunnumal: First, I have big shoes to fill. It’s going to be a tough job to meet expectations. That said, AI is a huge opportunity. We are investing extensively in building capability, and every one of us should be able to exploit this. This is the time to be creative, use AI in real-time operations, and unlock new demand and aspirations.

 

We may see less linearity than in the past. But if we get the training and talent mix right, there’s still plenty of room for growth. With AI in focus, are you rethinking reskilling at TCS?

 

Kunnumal: We’ve already taken several initiatives. The focus now is to accelerate and contextualise them better. Our training platforms are deeply integrated with GenAI and AI. We’re working to improve employee experience, making learning more personalised, intuitive, and embedded in their daily work.

 

How is TCS addressing the talent gap amid rapid AI evolution?

 

Lakkad: We have to focus on the ‘shift-left’ strategy — which we’ve applied before — and it’s even more relevant now. We must engage academia more deeply so that students are better prepared. The idea is that graduates should be billable from day one. We already partner with 100 colleges and run master’s programmes in some. If we scale this model, it will help the Indian IT industry move toward the $1-trillion mark. The talent is here; we just need tighter industry-academia synergy.

 

Kunnumal: We’ve been investing in this for years. Our Campus Commune platform connects students across colleges, offers peer mentoring, and we’re making offers to students six months before graduation.

 

TCS has 114,000 AI-ready employees. What’s the end goal?

 

Lakkad: We’ll continue building a skills pyramid. Our goal is to help people move up that pyramid, but each level will have its own specialisation or dimension. For instance, agentic AI, or domain-specific areas like manufacturing and life sciences. There will be skills developed that are contextual to the industry and specific technologies.

 

When can employees expect clarity on hikes?

 

Lakkad: We took a conscious call to hold off on hikes until we see stability in the environment. Needless to say, we don’t like this situation at all. We want to do the right thing and ensure that employees get their hikes at the right time. Historically, except for the Covid year, we’ve always stuck to our cycle. This is only the second time we’ve had to make a tough call. 

 

Women make up 38 per cent of TCS’ workforce. What is the company’s aspiration towards seeing women in leadership roles?

 

Kunnumal: Women are a key priority — a central dimension of how we explore diversity. At the entry level, the women-to-men ratio is 50:50. Naturally, that changes at higher levels. Our aspiration is to maintain that balance as they progress. We have several programmes in place and are making the necessary investments to help scale this effort. Aarthi coming in as COO is a great inspiration.

 

Lakkad: There’s been a 60 per cent increase in women in senior roles at TCS over the last five years. One clear thought process we’ve followed from the beginning is not to place women in senior roles just for the sake of it, but to create every possible pathway and mechanism for them to rise on merit.

 

What are the challenges as you take up CHRO’s role?

 

Kunnumal: TCS has seen many technology shifts, and we’ve come out stronger each time. What gives me confidence is that I’m not doing this alone — we have a strong team. GenAI is a huge opportunity, and given the overall macro environment, our short-term priority is to regain our aspirational and profitable growth.