HCLTech employees made a public display of their salary dissatisfaction during the company's 50th anniversary celebrations in Chennai. According to reports from Indian Tech & Infra, employees broke into chants of 'We want a hike' as CEO C. Vijayakumar walked onto the stage. The viral video shows hundreds of employees chanting the demand as Vijayakumar prepared to address the gathering, with the chants growing louder as he took the stage. As reported by Bengaluru News, the incident occurred during a celebratory event that also featured live performances and employee engagement activities, including a performance by singer Anirudh Ravichander. The video shows a giant screen displaying the CEO's image before he eventually appeared on stage to greet the audience.
The moment was quickly captured on video and went viral on social media, overshadowing the celebrations and triggering widespread discussion online. As reported by Indian Tech & Infra, the viral video shows the employees chanting 'We want a hike... We want a hike' as Vijayakumar prepared to address the gathering. The video has been widely shared across social media platforms, highlighting the scale of employee frustration over stagnant salaries. According to Bengaluru News, the video clip from HCLTech's 50th anniversary celebrations has triggered a wider conversation on salaries and compensation in India's IT sector. The viral incident has drawn mixed reactions from users on social media platforms, with some commenting on the scale of employee frustration and questioning whether public protests at company events are appropriate ways to press for better pay. One social media user called it the 'corporate way of begging,' while another said employees were simply saying aloud what thousands of professionals quietly discuss every appraisal season.
This incident marks the second time in 2026 that HCLTech employees have publicly expressed salary concerns during company events. Earlier in 2026, employees had shouted 'Appraisal kab hoga' (When will appraisals happen?) during another company event, as reported by Bengaluru News. The latest viral video comes at a time when HCLTech has been in news over the remuneration of its top executives. According to the company's annual report, CEO C. Vijayakumar received a compensation package of around ₹176 crore in FY26, which was nearly a 69% year-on-year increase. The employees at the event were perhaps aware of the substantial compensation figure their boss is drawing, adding context to their salary demands.
The viral moment comes at a time when HCLTech recently reported strong financial performance for the June 2026 quarter. The company posted standalone net sales of ₹14,337 crore, up 9.67% year-on-year, with net profit rising to ₹5,116 crore, marking a 9.74% increase compared with the same period last year. Despite the contrast between improving financial numbers and employees publicly demanding higher pay, the company has maintained its cautious approach to salary revisions. While business conditions have gradually improved, companies have been cautious with salary revisions even as hiring activity has started picking up in select segments. The strong financial performance adds another layer to the ongoing conversation about compensation in the IT sector, where salary increments have remained modest over the past two years as global clients reduced discretionary spending.
Despite the public display of dissatisfaction, CEO C. Vijayakumar remained composed during the incident. According to reports from Indian Tech & Infra, he smiled, acknowledged the crowd, and continued with his speech without reacting directly to the demand for salary hikes. The CEO's measured response contrasted with the passionate chants from the employee crowd, suggesting the company may address the salary concerns through more formal channels rather than immediate public response. As reported by Bengaluru News, the video shows Vijayakumar greeting the audience with 'Vanakkam, Chennai' before employees interrupted his opening remarks with the salary hike chants. Unlike its peer TCS, HCLTech has yet to announce salary hikes for its employees this year, adding to employee concerns about compensation in the current business environment. HCL has not paid heed to the viral video yet and has not issued any official statement on the incident, as reported by multiple sources.
