With an AI-first strategy in focus, Infosys CEO Salil Parekh’s FY25 pay jumps to ₹80.6 crore.
Salil Parekh, MD and CEO of Infosys, earned a total remuneration of ₹80.62 crore in FY25, up 22% from the previous year, according to the company’s integrated annual report for 2024-25.
The single biggest driver was ₹49.5 crore of perquisites arising from the exercise of 3,06,276 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) issued under the 2015 plan and 39,141 RSUs under the 2019 plan. Parekh’s fixed salary (base plus retirals) came to ₹7.94 crore, while his performance bonus and other variable pay totalled ₹23.18 crore.
The median remuneration of employees (MRE) rose to ₹10,72,008 from ₹9,77,868 the year before. Parekh’s overall pay was 752 times the MRE (or 290 times if stock-option perquisites are excluded).
In his annual letter, Parekh framed FY25 as “another year of strong execution,” highlighting 4.2% revenue growth, a 21.1% operating margin and $4.1 billion in free cash flow. “We announced a total dividend of ₹43 per share (including an interim dividend of ₹21 per share),” reads his message.
He positioned Infosys as the “leader in AI, cloud, data and digital,” pointing to the firm’s Topaz platform and a growing repository of AI agents that boost client productivity in areas such as code generation and IT operations.
Cost discipline remains front and centre. Parekh noted a continued focus on “cost efficiency, automation, lean, and delivering productivity improvements” for customers.
In FY25, Infosys recruited over 15,000 college graduates and ended the year with over 3,20,000 employees. Around 39% of its workforce are women employees.
Parekh closed his letter on an upbeat note. “As technology continues to be more central in the world, Infosys becomes more relevant to our clients,” he said, expressing optimism about the “enormous opportunities” ahead.
Why the big lift matters
The hefty stock-option component links Parekh’s payout directly to long-term shareholder returns. With his second five-year term running to March 2027, the fresh RSU grants are designed to keep the CEO anchored through the next phase of Infosys’ AI-first strategy. While the 22% jump outpaces the 9.6% rise in median pay, the board argues the mix of long-vested equity and ESG-linked targets aligns management rewards with sustainable value creation.
Fortune India is now on WhatsApp! Get the latest updates from the world of business and economy delivered straight to your phone. Subscribe now.