Infosys ₹18,000 Cr Buyback: Investors Cheer, Employees Protest
Infosys Match Centre. Image credit X.com @Infosys
With Infosys approving ₹18,000 crore share buyback at ₹1,800 per share, IT staff question why firms reward shareholders while denying bonuses, retention, and job security.
By S JHA
MUMBAI, September 11, 2025 — India’s top IT giant Infosys announced massive share buyback programme worth thousands of crores, sparking outrage among employees who allege that companies are prioritizing shareholders over their workforce.
Infosys on Thursday approved a ₹18,000 crore buyback of up to 10 crore equity shares at a price of ₹1,800 per share, representing 2.41% of its paid-up capital. The buyback, to be executed through the tender offer route, will be one of the largest in the Indian IT sector.
TCS too has announced a similar multi-thousand crore buyback plan, continuing a trend where India’s most profitable tech majors regularly return cash to shareholders.
But employees say the optics are starkly different on the ground. The Forum for IT Employees (FITE) hit out on X, arguing that while promoters and investors reap windfalls from buybacks, staff are facing layoffs, withheld 100% variable pay bonuses, and limited retention measures.
“How can companies have unlimited cash to reward shareholders, but suddenly no money when it comes to rewarding the people who build the company’s success?” FITE asked.
Buybacks allow companies to deploy cash reserves to purchase their own shares from the market, boosting earnings per share (EPS) and rewarding promoters — in TCS’s case, Tata Sons — as the biggest beneficiaries.
Employees, however, feel sidelined. “We aren’t against shareholder returns. But employees deserve their fair share first. Without us, there is no product, no revenue, no profit,” FITE stated, calling for 100% bonus payouts, fair retention policies, and stronger employee welfare.
The buyback announcements come at a time when IT firms are under pressure from global demand slowdown, rising automation, and cost-cutting measures — with workforce morale increasingly strained.
Investors on social forums questioned the wisdom of buyback of shares by IT behemoths, asking why they don’t invest in AI and other tech areas. They also slammed the management of IT giants for almost “zero returns” on shares for past few years.
One year loss in shares of Infosys stands at negative 20%. One year loss in shares of TCS comes at a whopping 30%. Similar is the case of most of the listed IT firms, who have disappointed shareholders in terms of returns.
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