- By Yashashvi Tak
- Mon, 04 Aug 2025 10:10 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
C Vijayakumar, CEO of HCL Technologies, has become the highest-paid CEO among Indian IT companies. He has surpassed the CEOs of major companies like TCS and Infosys in terms of earnings. In the financial year 2024-25, he earned Dollar 10.85 million (approximately Rs 94.6 crore), the highest in the IT sector.
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Notably, at a time when major companies like TCS, Wipro, and Infosys are laying off employees, HCLTech has granted a substantial 71 percent salary hike to C Vijayakumar. As a result, his total compensation for the next financial year 2025-26 will rise from Rs 94.6 crore to Rs 154 crore. This information is disclosed in HCL’s annual report.
According to the report, the company has reappointed him as CEO and Managing Director for a term from 1 September 2025 to 31 March 2030. However, this decision will be fully implemented only after shareholder approval.
Breakdown Of Vijayakumar’s Salary (FY 2024-25)
Basic Salary: Dollar 1.96 million (approximately Rs 17.17 crore)
Performance Bonus: Dollar 1.73 million (approximately Rs 15.16 crore)
Long-Term Incentives (RSUs): Dollar 6.96 million (approximately Rs 61 crore)
Other Benefits: Dollar 0.20 million (approximately Rs 1.75 crore)
Salaries of CEOs of Other IT Companies:
TCS CEO K. Krithivasan: Rs 26.52 crore
Tech Mahindra CEO Mohit Joshi: Rs 53.9 crore
Wipro CEO Srinivas Pallia: Rs 53.64 crore
Infosys CEO Salil Parekh: Rs 80.62 crore
Who Is C Vijayakumar?
C Vijayakumar, aged 57, became the CEO of HCLTech in October 2016. On 20 July 2021, he was also appointed Chairman and Managing Director, following the resignation of then Chief Strategy Officer Shiv Nadar. Vijayakumar began his career as a senior engineer at HCL Comnet (a subsidiary of HCL) in 1994.
He played a significant role in establishing the company's Remote Infrastructure Management System. He holds a postgraduate degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from PSG College of Technology, Tamil Nadu. Currently, he resides in the United States, and his salary is paid by HCL’s U.S. unit, HCL America Inc.
When he assumed the role of CEO in 2016, HCLTech’s market value was Rs 1.15 lakh crore. By March 2025, it had risen to Rs 4.32 lakh crore, a 3.8x increase. In comparison, the market value of the top four IT companies has increased by an average of only 2.5 times during the same period.
HCLTech recently announced its June quarter results, reporting a 9.7 percent decline in profit to Rs 3,843 crore, impacted by rising expenses and a client’s bankruptcy. However, the company raised its full-year growth guidance from 2-5 percent to 3-5 percent.
The company’s shares have declined by more than 5 percent over the past year. However, they rose by 1.26 percent on Monday and are currently trading around Rs 1,470.