Key Takeaways
- Salil Parekh's ₹82.6 crore compensation was 742 times the median Infosys employee salary
- Stock options accounted for 61% of Parekh's total pay package
- Wipro's Srinivas Pallia was the only top-five IT CEO to see pay decline year-over-year
Infosys CEO Salil Parekh took home ₹82.6 crore in FY26, making him the highest-paid chief executive among India's top IT services firms. His compensation rose 2.5% from the previous year, per Infosys' annual report.
The figure puts a spotlight on how India's IT giants reward their top leaders even as the sector faces pressure from delayed client spending in the US and Europe. For context, Parekh's package was 742 times the median remuneration at Infosys when stock incentives are included. Strip those out and it's still 289 times.
How does Parekh's pay break down?
Stock-based compensation dominates. Of the ₹82.6 crore total, ₹50.75 crore came from exercised stock options and restricted stock units. That's 61% of the package. Fixed salary accounted for just ₹8.5 crore, while variable pay added ₹23.35 crore.
This structure aligns CEO incentives with shareholder returns. It also means Parekh's realized compensation swings with Infosys' stock performance. In years when options vest at higher prices, the headline number climbs. The company did not disclose unvested grants in the same filing.
Where do other IT CEOs rank?
Tech Mahindra CEO Mohit Joshi came second with ₹67.55 crore, an 11.76% jump from FY25. That was the steepest increase among the top five. Joshi joined Tech Mahindra in 2023 after spending over two decades at Infosys, and his rising pay reflects the company's turnaround bets.
Wipro's Srinivas Pallia ranked third at $5.29 million (roughly ₹49 crore), but he was the only one to see a decline. His FY25 package had been $6.2 million. Wipro continues navigating restructuring, and CEO pay tracked accordingly. Executive chairman Rishad Premji drew $773,213 (about ₹7.3 crore), comprising salary, commission, and long-term incentives.
TCS CEO K Krithivasan earned more than ₹28 crore, up 6.3% year-over-year. His compensation was 332.8 times the median employee pay at TCS. It's worth noting TCS is the largest Indian IT company by revenue, yet its CEO earns significantly less than his Infosys counterpart.
LTIMindtree's Venugopal Lambu joined the list with ₹27.26 crore for a 10-month stint. He took over as CEO on May 31, 2025, receiving ₹12 crore in fixed pay and ₹11.98 crore in variable compensation including stock options. His predecessor, Debashis Chatterjee, collected ₹15.75 crore for just two months before retiring, with ₹12.18 crore of that from exercised stock options.
| CEO | Company | FY26 Pay | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salil Parekh | Infosys | ₹82.6 crore | +2.5% |
| Mohit Joshi | Tech Mahindra | ₹67.55 crore | +11.76% |
| Srinivas Pallia | Wipro | ₹49 crore | -15% |
| K Krithivasan | TCS | ₹28+ crore | +6.3% |
| Venugopal Lambu | LTIMindtree | ₹27.26 crore | N/A (partial year) |
Why do stock options dominate IT CEO pay?
Indian IT firms adopted US-style executive compensation structures years ago. Stock-heavy packages tie leadership rewards to market performance and reduce cash outflow. When a CEO exercises options granted three to five years earlier, the gains reflect cumulative stock appreciation over that period.
This creates volatility in reported compensation. A CEO might show modest pay in years when options aren't exercised, then post a large number when they are. It also means comparing packages across companies requires knowing when options vest and at what strike price.
For boards, the logic is straightforward: align CEO incentives with shareholders. Critics note it can encourage short-term stock price management over long-term business building. Both views have merit.
What does the pay gap signal?
The 742x multiple at Infosys will draw attention. India's IT workforce is highly skilled, and entry-level engineers at these companies earn significantly more than the national average. Yet the ratio still reflects a global trend: executive compensation has outpaced worker pay for decades.
Companies disclose these multiples because securities regulations require it. Whether investors act on the information varies. Some institutional shareholders in the US and Europe push back on extreme ratios during proxy season. In India, such activism remains rare.
Logicity's Take
The real story isn't Parekh's headline number. It's that 61% of his pay came from stock options exercised in a single year. That design creates compensation spikes that grab headlines but obscure year-to-year consistency. For CTOs benchmarking their own packages against industry norms, the fixed-plus-variable component (₹31.85 crore for Parekh) is a more useful comparison. Also notable: TCS, despite being India's largest IT company by revenue and headcount, pays its CEO roughly one-third what Infosys pays Parekh. That suggests board philosophy on compensation varies sharply even within the same industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the highest-paid IT CEO in India in FY26?
Infosys CEO Salil Parekh, with total compensation of ₹82.6 crore including stock options.
How much did Tech Mahindra CEO Mohit Joshi earn in FY26?
Mohit Joshi earned ₹67.55 crore, an 11.76% increase from the previous year.
Why did Wipro CEO Srinivas Pallia's salary decrease?
Pallia's compensation fell from $6.2 million to $5.29 million, reflecting Wipro's ongoing turnaround challenges and restructuring.
What is the CEO-to-median-employee pay ratio at Infosys?
Salil Parekh's compensation was 742 times the median employee pay when including stock options, or 289 times excluding them.
How much of Salil Parekh's pay came from stock options?
Stock options and RSUs accounted for ₹50.75 crore, or 61% of his total FY26 compensation.
Need Help Implementing This?
If you're designing executive compensation structures or benchmarking leadership packages against industry norms, Logicity can connect you with advisory firms and compensation consultants who specialize in technology sector pay practices. Reach out to our team for introductions.
Source: Tech-Economic Times / ET
Manaal Khan
Tech & Innovation Writer
Produced with AI assistance and reviewed by the Logicity editorial team. Learn more in our Editorial Policy.
