As consulting firms enter tech, problems grow for Indian IT companies

European clients, which typically account for a quarter to a third of Indian firms' sales, are almost certain to cut their tech budgets - at least until the war in Ukraine comes to an end

The quarterly earnings season for India’s outsourcing firms has begun on a cautiously optimistic note. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., the largest of the country’s software exporters, reported better-than-expected growth of 8% in net income. Its operating margin, which had slumped to a seven-year low of 23% in the three months to June, rose by 1 percentage point as Mumbai-based TCS dialed down on new hiring.  

From here on, however, things may get challenging. European clients, which typically account for a quarter to a third of Indian firms’ sales, are almost certain to cut their tech budgets — at least until