New Delhi, Aug. 3 -- On 27 June, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) made headlines when it announced plans to cut approximately 12,000 jobs, marking the largest layoff in the software services major's history. The move sparked debate, with some industry observers interpreting it as fallout from artificial intelligence (AI), and warning of similar cuts at other major firms.

However, TCS chief executive K. Krithivasan attributed the decision to skill mismatches, not AI. Days later, Infosys CEO Salil Parekh said his company remained committed to hiring 20,000 freshers in FY26. The contrasting statements suggested that the layoffs were likely tied to TCS's internal restructuring rather than indicative of an industry-wide trend.

Still, the sect...