‘Tears, cruelty, fear of speaking out…’ fired Infosys trainees allege nightmare departure from IT giant

Recently fired trainees from IT major Infosys recounted nightmare experiences to Moneycontrol, alleging that their tears and pleas to be allowed to stay the night fell on deaf ears. 

A female trainee from Madhya Pradesh claimed she requested to stay the night at the Mysuru campus and leave in the morning but was refused and asked to vacate the premises by 6 pm.

Hundreds of others were also stuck trying to hail cabs and rides to their hometowns, as per the report.

Trainees Recount What Happened: Allege Cruelty, Fear

As per the report, batches of 50 trainees were called, with laptops in hand, for a discussion at 9.30 am on February 7. One such fired trainee told the publication, anonymously, that other employees and US clients were also on campus, and buses were used to “shield” the area where trainees were being called and “terminated one by one,” adding, “We were escorted out in a way so as to not catch their attention”.

Another trainee added, “This is cruelty. It is a big company, and trainees fear speaking the truth.”

Trainees also told the website that trainers had warned them that the exams were designed to remove most of them from jobs. They added that other trainees awaiting exams now fear a similar fate.

As per the report, Infosys trainees must score a minimum of 50 per cent in each focus area and a combined average score of at least 65 per cent in all focus areas in the 'technology stream'. This overhaul was introduced in 2024 amid evolving IT space demands, the report noted.

Livemint has reached out to Infosys representatives for an official comment. This copy will be updated with their response. 

400 Infosys Trainees Fired

On February 7, Moneycontrol reported that Infosys had laid off 400 trainees — approximately half of the new joiners onboarded in October 2024 — after they failed evaluation tests in three consecutive attempts.

In response, Infosys said that freshers go through a rigorous hiring process where they are expected to clear the internal assessments within the set criteria. 

“At Infosys, we have a rigorous hiring process where all freshers, after undergoing extensive foundational training at our Mysuru campus, are expected to clear internal assessments,” said the company in an official statement cited by the news portal.

The IT firm added that candidates get three attempts to pass the tests, failing which they will no longer be able to work for the company as per their signed contract. 

“All freshers get three attempts to clear the assessment, failing which they will not be able to continue with the organisation, as is also mentioned in their contract. This process has been in existence for over two decades and ensures a high quality of talent availability for our clients,” said Infosys, as per the report.