Top office transitions: How leadership shake-ups have changed India's IT sector

The Indian IT sector has witnessed substantial leadership changes over the past two years, signaling strategic shifts and internal adjustments among major players. Wipro, Infosys, HCLTech, and Tech Mahindra are at the forefront of these transitions, with significant top-level exits and subsequent appointments.

Wipro has been particularly impacted, starting with the exit of CEO Thierry Delaporte in April. His departure triggered a wave of resignations among senior executives, including COO Amit Choudhary, CTO Subha Tatavarti, and chief delivery officer Ajit Mahale. Srini Pallia, a 33-year veteran of Wipro, took over as CEO, steering the company towards internal promotions for leadership continuity. Recent appointments include Omkar Nisal as the Europe CEO, succeeding Pierre Bruno, and Aparna Iyer as CFO, following Jatin Dalal's transition to Cognizant.

Phil Fersht, founder of HFS Research, told TOI, “Srini has promoted several Wipro veterans to senior positions, whilst most Delaporte recruits have departed or are leaving. Wipro is regaining momentum with new client successes as Srini prepares for key market initiatives in 2025.”


Lateral hires vs internal promotions
The Indian IT industry's financial leadership has also seen notable changes, with companies favoring internal promotions for key roles. Infosys promoted Jayesh Sanghrajka after CFO Nilanjan Roy's exit, while HCLTech elevated Shiv Walia following Prateek Aggarwal's departure. Vinit Teredesai transitioned from LTIMindtree to Persistent Systems, and Vipul Chandra from Larsen & Toubro replaced him at LTIMindtree. Mphasis brought in Aravind Viswanathan from Tanla Platforms, and Coforge appointed Saurabh Goel as CFO.

According to Pareekh Jain, CEO at Pareekh Jain Consulting, succession planning has become a priority for IT service providers, ensuring continuity through internal promotions at EVP and SVP levels. "Many IT service providers have implemented succession planning for senior management roles, maintaining stability amidst leadership changes," he told TOI.

While internal promotions dominate, external hires remain a strategic move for specific roles. Tech Mahindra’s CEO Mohit Joshi brought in Richard Lobo from Infosys as chief people officer. Additionally, the company made lateral hires, such as Venkatesh SG from SunTec, to bolster expertise in financial services. Tech Mahindra also saw the exits of chief strategy officer Jagdish Mitra and Europe business head Vikram Nair, highlighting the fluidity in leadership structures.