Information technology major Infosys is set to hire 20,000 college graduates in FY27 as it ramps up its artificial intelligence and automation capabilities, offering a bright spot amid layoffs across the global technology industry. The hiring plan was confirmed by CEO Salil Parekh during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, according to a report by moneycontrol.com.

Infosys has already onboarded around 18,000 freshers in the first three quarters of FY26, with net headcount rising by over 5,000 employees in the December quarter. The company expects total fresher hiring in FY26 to reach nearly 20,000.

Parekh said client spending patterns are shifting as businesses reallocate budgets toward AI-driven initiatives. While some traditional areas are seeing compression, demand is rising in software development, customer service, and the modernisation of legacy systems using AI agents and multiple foundation models.

He noted that AI adoption has moved beyond pilot projects, particularly in financial services, where Infosys is already executing large-scale, production-level AI deployments. Out of its 25 largest financial services clients, the company serves as the preferred AI partner for 15, underscoring the commercial maturity of its AI engagements.

On pricing, Parekh said the industry is still evolving models for AI-led delivery, especially where human teams work alongside AI agents. While such pricing structures are currently limited, he expects them to develop further over the coming quarters.

Parekh added that clients remain cautiously optimistic about technology spending in 2026, supported by stronger economic signals from the United States. Infosys’ aggressive hiring plans for FY27 reflect confidence that AI-led demand will continue to accelerate, even as conventional IT services face selective pressure.