'HCL Tech will keep hiring to meet 5.5% growth guidance'

On Friday, HCL Technologies Ltd, India's third-largest information technology (IT) services company, reported 12.5% sequential rise in net profit.

- Jas Bardia & Shouvik Das

Alongside being the top-performing firm of India's top four IT companies this quarter, HCL was also the only one to add net new employees. In an interview with Mint, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) C. Vijayakumar said HCL Technologies will continue its hiring momentum through the entire calendar year to maintain its revenue growth guidance. Growth is being fuelled by the company's existing mega telecom deal with American telecom firm Verizon, a new focus on automotive technologies through its acquisition of Germany's ASAP Group, and increasing recurring revenue from its software business. HCL will also focus on Europe as a geography, where its revenue is expected to be bolstered by focusing on the automotive sector in the upcoming quarters. Edited excerpts:

HCL Technologies was the sole top-four IT firm to increase headcount in Q3. Would you continue to hire next quarter?

You need people to continue delivering 5.5% growth. We're continuing to hire, and our net additions are positive. We'll see the hiring momentum continue into Q4 and beyond. Our services have also grown 3.1%, and all of this requires the right talent to execute. We're also executing a very large deal through the previous quarter, and that will also add to the headcount numbers.