Infosys CEO Salil Parekh became the highest-paid CEO among India's leading IT companies in FY26, earning ₹82.6 crore, while Wipro CEO Srinivas Pallia received ₹49.6 crore. Despite leading India's largest IT services company, TCS CEO K Krithivasan earned ₹28 crore.
Executive Compensation Highlights in India's IT Industry
India's information technology sector witnessed significant differences in executive compensation during FY26. While Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) remained the country's largest software exporter in terms of revenue and profitability, it was Infosys CEO Salil Parekh who emerged as the highest-paid IT CEO in India.
According to annual reports released by India's top IT companies, executive pay was influenced not only by business performance but also by stock-linked incentives, long-term wealth creation plans, and performance-based rewards.
Top-Paid IT CEOs in India (FY26)
- Salil Parekh (Infosys CEO & MD): ₹82.6 crore
- Srinivas Pallia (Wipro CEO & MD): ₹49.6 crore
- K Krithivasan (TCS CEO & MD): ₹28 crore
The figures demonstrate how modern executive compensation structures increasingly rely on equity-based rewards rather than fixed salaries alone.
Salil Parekh Becomes Highest-Paid CEO in Indian IT Sector
Infosys CEO Salil Parekh received a total remuneration of ₹82.6 crore in FY26, making him the highest-paid chief executive among India's leading IT services firms.
His compensation package included:
- Fixed salary: ₹7.97 crore
- Retirement benefits: ₹0.53 crore
- Variable pay: ₹8.5 crore
- Stock-based incentives: ₹23.35 crore
- Gains from exercised stock awards: ₹50.75 crore
According to Infosys, Parekh exercised more than 3.37 lakh restricted stock units (RSUs) granted under employee stock ownership plans during the financial year.
The Infosys board also approved additional stock grants linked to business growth, shareholder value creation, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance metrics.
Wipro CEO Srinivas Pallia Earns ₹49.6 Crore
Wipro CEO Srinivas Pallia secured the second position among India's highest-paid IT executives with total compensation of ₹49.6 crore in FY26.
Although lower than the ₹53.6 crore he received in FY25, Pallia's remuneration remained substantially higher than that of the TCS chief executive.
His compensation package comprised:
- Salary and allowances: ₹15.5 crore
- Variable pay and commission: ₹9.9 crore
- Other compensation: ₹23.3 crore
- Deferred compensation benefits: ₹1 crore
The decline in overall remuneration was mainly due to reduced performance-linked payouts. Variable compensation decreased from ₹14.5 crore in FY25 to ₹9.9 crore in FY26.
TCS CEO K Krithivasan's Salary Rises to ₹28 Crore
Despite heading India's largest IT company, TCS CEO K Krithivasan received the lowest compensation among the three CEOs, earning ₹28 crore in FY26.
His remuneration increased 6.3% year-on-year and included:
- Basic salary: ₹1.67 crore
- Benefits and allowances: ₹1.43 crore
- Performance-linked commission: ₹25 crore
TCS stated that the CEO's remuneration was equivalent to 332.8 times the median employee salary. During FY26, median employee remuneration increased by 5.1%, while salary hikes for junior and mid-level employees in India ranged between 4.5% and 7%.
TCS, Infosys, and Wipro Financial Performance in FY26
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
TCS maintained its leadership position in the Indian IT sector by reporting:
- Revenue: ₹2.67 lakh crore
- Net profit: ₹49,210 crore
Infosys
Infosys recorded strong operational performance with:
- Revenue: ₹1.79 lakh crore
- Net profit: ₹29,440 crore
- Free cash flow: ₹33,097 crore
- Operating margin: 20.3%
Wipro
Wipro reported:
- Revenue: ₹92,620 crore
- Net income: ₹13,200 crore
The company also witnessed robust deal momentum:
- Large deal bookings increased 45.4% to $7.8 billion
- Total bookings rose 14% to $16.4 billion
The figures underline the vast scale difference among India's leading IT firms. TCS generated approximately ₹88,000 crore more revenue than Infosys and nearly three times Wipro's revenue during FY26.
Nandan Nilekani and N Chandrasekaran Decline Major Compensation
The annual reports also highlighted that some of India's most prominent technology leaders opted against drawing substantial compensation.
- Infosys Chairman Nandan Nilekani did not receive any remuneration during FY26.
- Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran continued his long-standing practice of not accepting commission from TCS and received only ₹4.2 lakh as sitting fees during the year.
Why Infosys CEO Earned More Than TCS and Wipro CEOs
The FY26 compensation data reveals that being the largest company does not necessarily translate into the highest CEO salary.
While TCS remained India's undisputed leader in revenue and profitability, its CEO earned significantly less than both Infosys and Wipro counterparts.
The primary reason behind the difference was stock-linked compensation. A substantial portion of Salil Parekh's earnings came from stock awards and exercised equity grants, whereas K Krithivasan's remuneration was largely based on salary and performance incentives.
Conclusion
The FY26 executive compensation disclosures from India's leading IT companies demonstrate a growing shift toward equity-based rewards and long-term incentive structures. While TCS continued to dominate in revenue and profit, Infosys CEO Salil Parekh emerged as India's highest-paid IT CEO with ₹82.6 crore, followed by Wipro CEO Srinivas Pallia with ₹49.6 crore and TCS CEO K Krithivasan with ₹28 crore.
The trend highlights that in today's technology industry, CEO compensation is increasingly determined by stock ownership, performance-linked incentives, and shareholder value creation rather than company size alone.