Getting people back to office was among toughest challenges: TCS' Lakkad

As Milind Lakkad prepares to hand over the reins to Sudeep Kunnumal after more than six years as chief human resources officer (CHRO)—and a 38-year career at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)—he looks back on a tenure defined by the pandemic, the Great Resignation, sweeping organizational shifts, and the company's evolving focus on AI. In a joint conversation following TCS' first quarter earnings in 2025-26, Lakkad and Kunnumal speak with Shivani Shinde in Mumbai about talent, technology, transition, and what's next for the IT giant's 600,000-strong workforce. Edited excerpts:

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How do you look back on your 38 years at TCS, especially the 6.5 years as CHRO?

Lakkad: It's definitely a very different feeling. These 38 years have been an incredibly fulfilling journey. I'm filled with gratitude for the opportunities I've received and for everything I've been able to contribute. I'm also grateful for colleagues like Aarthi (Subramanian; COO), K Krithivasan (CEO), and Chandra (N Chandrasekaran; chairman, Tata Sons). I've known them for so long, and our relationship has been more than just professional.

When I took over as CHRO in 2019, the first major challenge was Covid. The first 18 months were extremely difficult—it was a crash course in HR. Then came the Great Resignation. Attrition touched 20 per cent, something we'd never seen before at TCS. We had to manage that, rehire, and adapt quickly.

The early years were all about reacting to disruptions—whether it was attrition, leadership transitions, or business uncertainty.

But through it all, the lesson has been: How do you take care of every stakeholder? You have to support people, manage costs, and still deliver healthy margins.

What I really cherish is how we came together during the toughest of times.

One of the toughest challenges was getting people back to the office. It took longer than we expected, but the level of engagement across HR and business teams made it possible. It wouldn't have happened without strong leadership.

TCS has long had India's largest employee base. Do you see that changing over time?