HCLTech is reshaping fresher hiring as AI changes entry-level tech jobs, offering up to Rs 18 lakh annually for specialised skills while continuing mass campus recruitment at lower salaries.
The IT services company has completed its FY27 fresher hiring programme after visiting engineering campuses across India from July, according to the company. HCLTech Chief People Officer Ram Sundararajan had earlier said the company was likely to hire around 11,000 freshers, similar to FY26.
For FY27, HCLTech has increased hiring under its ‘Elite Engineer’ cadre, which includes graduates from IITs and NITs. The programme targets skills linked to frontier technology areas including Semiconductor & Silicon, AI, Data Engineering, Physical AI and Robotics, and Quantum. Salaries for Elite Engineers start at Rs 18 lakh per annum.
Sundararajan said, “The company is pivoting to a skills-based hiring approach with focus on emerging technologies that are in demand with clients globally. The Elite Engineer program continues to play an important role in our strategy to build future-ready talent.”
At the same time, HCLTech continues to recruit freshers through its Primus Campus programme. The initiative covers more than 60 partner engineering colleges that receive hiring priority. HCLTech works with these institutions on industry readiness, including curriculum guidance, while also conducting expert mentorship sessions, tech talks and hackathons.
Candidates from Primus campuses are assessed through cognitive, coding and technical, and English proficiency tests, followed by interviews. They are then placed under the AMP matrix, Ascend, Momentum and Polaris, based on the evaluation.
Salaries under the Primus programme start at Rs 4.5 lakh per annum for Ascend and rise to Rs 10 lakh for Polaris.
The resulting pay range for HCLTech’s FY27 campus intake runs from Rs 4.5 lakh to Rs 18 lakh, depending on the hiring route, skills and assessment outcome.
The move comes as technology companies increase their focus on AI-related capabilities among entry-level recruits. HCLTech’s current careers listings also include fresher roles in areas such as AI and machine learning, including positions involving model development, deployment and monitoring.
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