HCLTech CEO and MD C. Vijayakumar received a total compensation of $10.85 million (₹94.6 crore) in FY2024–25, making him the highest-paid IT CEO in India. His earnings included base pay, performance incentives, long-term RSUs, and perquisites. His leadership tenure has also been extended until March 2030, reflecting the company’s long-term strategic alignment.
HCL Technologies Ltd, headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, is a global technology company providing services in IT consulting, software development, cloud services, digital transformation, and engineering solutions. With a presence in over 50 countries and a workforce exceeding 225,000 employees, HCLTech is a key player in India’s IT services industry, competing globally with firms like TCS, Infosys, and Wipro.
C. Vijayakumar, who serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of HCLTech, has officially become the highest-paid executive in India’s IT sector. In FY2024–25, he earned a total of $10.85 million (approximately ₹94.6 crore), surpassing all other Indian IT executives in terms of compensation.
His earnings were disclosed in the company’s latest annual report and comprise a mix of fixed and performance-linked components. This includes:
| Component | Amount (USD) | Approx. INR (₹ Cr) |
| Base Salary | $1.96 million | ₹17.1 crore |
| Performance-Linked Bonus | $1.73 million | ₹15.1 crore |
| Long-Term Incentives (RSUs) | $6.96 million | ₹60.8 crore |
| Other Benefits & Perquisites | $0.20 million | ₹1.7 crore |
| Total Compensation | $10.85 million | ₹94.6 crore |
This package reflects a 7.9% hike over his previous year’s pay. In comparison, the average hike for HCLTech’s non-managerial employees was only 3.1% for the same fiscal year. The report further reveals that Vijayakumar’s total compensation is 662.5 times the median remuneration of an HCLTech employee — a ratio that underscores the growing executive-employee pay gap in India’s top tech firms.
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Vijayakumar, 57, has had a long-standing association with HCLTech. He joined HCL Comnet, a subsidiary of the company, in 1994 as a senior engineer. As part of the original team, he was instrumental in developing HCL’s Remote Infrastructure Management offering, a business line that later became a key revenue driver.
In October 2016, Vijayakumar was appointed as CEO. His leadership was further consolidated when he assumed the dual role of Managing Director in July 2021 after Shiv Nadar stepped down from active management. Under his guidance, HCLTech has seen consistent top-line and bottom-line growth, driven by investments in AI, automation, cloud infrastructure, and digital engineering.
In a regulatory filing in June 2025, HCLTech announced that the Board of Directors had approved a five-year extension of his tenure. Subject to shareholder approval, he will continue to lead the company from September 1, 2025, to March 31, 2030.
Vijayakumar holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from PSG College of Technology, Tamil Nadu. Beyond financial achievements, he has also earned significant recognition within the business community. He was named India’s Best CEO in the IT Services (Super Large category) by Fortune India and was ranked first in Institutional Investor’s Asia Executive Team survey.
With his compensation structure heavily tied to long-term performance metrics and equity-linked incentives, HCLTech appears to be reinforcing its trust in his vision to scale the company in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. His continued presence is expected to ensure strategic continuity and investor confidence amid growing competition and global tech disruptions.
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