Infosys, one of India’s leading IT services firms, has recently laid off 240 entry-level trainees who failed to meet the company’s internal assessment criteria. This decision was conveyed to the affected trainees in an email sent on April 18, 2025. The layoffs are part of a broader trend within Infosys as it continues to face a subdued demand environment, exacerbated by ongoing macroeconomic challenges.

Previous Layoffs and Current Impact

This latest round of terminations follows a similar round of layoffs in February 2025, when Infosys had let go of more than 300 trainees who failed their assessments. The company’s response to these layoffs has included offering the affected individuals free upskilling opportunities. Trainees impacted by these decisions have been given the chance to enroll in external training programs offered in collaboration with NIIT and UpGrad. These programs are designed to prepare the trainees for roles in the Business Process Management (BPM) industry and strengthen their skills in Information Technology fundamentals, which could open new career pathways for them.

Additionally, Infosys has promised to provide affected trainees with one month’s pay, as well as accommodation and travel allowances for their transition. The firm is also offering professional outplacement services to help these individuals find new opportunities in the industry.

Layoffs Due to Assessment Failures

The email sent to trainees outlined that despite multiple preparation sessions, mock assessments, and three attempts, they had failed to meet the qualifications needed to continue in the company’s apprenticeship program. This move is part of Infosys's ongoing efforts to align its workforce with the evolving market demands and the company’s strategic direction.

The company emphasized that this was not just about job termination, but about offering trainees an alternative pathway to develop their skills further and find new career opportunities. The Infosys BPM training program, in collaboration with UpGrad, aims to support the trainees in shifting to new roles within the business process management domain.

Infosys’s Recruitment Outlook

Despite these challenges, Infosys is still optimistic about its recruitment for the year. The company has announced plans to onboard 20,000 freshers in the current fiscal year, continuing its hiring efforts despite a forecasted 0-3% revenue growth for the year, indicating cautious optimism amid ongoing global uncertainty, particularly in its core markets in the US and Europe. This follows the hiring of over 15,000 freshers in the previous year.

However, the path for Infosys trainees has been a rocky one, particularly for those hired at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the current batch of trainees had completed their engineering degrees during the pandemic, often via virtual interviews, and were delayed by a long recruitment process due to the macroeconomic slowdown.

Looking Ahead

With the US and Europe still facing uncertain economic conditions, Infosys is focusing on innovation and skill development to better prepare its workforce for the challenges ahead. While these layoffs may be a temporary setback for those impacted, the offer of upskilling programs through trusted educational partners like NIIT and UpGrad provides a hopeful outlook for their future careers.

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