Amid AI push, LTM ramps up fresher hiring by 40%

BENGALURU: LTM (formerly LTIMindtree) increased fresher hiring by 40% in FY26 and expanded the deployment of AI agents across its workforce. At the same time, the company relied more on subcontractors in overseas markets and adopted a calibrated salary hike strategy amid macroeconomic uncertainty The IT firm onboarded more than 6,700 freshers during 2025-26, strengthening its talent pipeline across key capabilities. It also deployed over 1,500 AI agents internally to improve employee productivity and operational efficiency at scale.Subcontracting expenses, meanwhile, rose sharply to Rs 3,236.9 crore in FY26 from Rs 2,631.2 crore a year earlier. The increase was driven by a higher subcontractor headcount and rising overseas subcontracting costs due to rupee depreciation. The company’s workforce mix reflected changing onsite hiring trends. In the US, full-time employee count declined marginally to 7,454 in FY26 from 7,517 a year earlier, while subcontractor numbers rose to 1,324 from 952. In Europe, employee headcount dropped to 1,381 from 1,735, whereas subcontractors increased to 290 from 227.In India, both permanent employee and subcontractor numbers increased during the year. Employee headcount rose to 77,855 from 73,801 in FY25, while subcontractors increased to 2,650 from 2,097. Overall, the company’s total permanent employees, excluding subsidiaries, stood at 87,950 as of March 31, compared with 84,307 a year earlier.