HCLTech on Tuesday reported a 4.2 per cent rise in consolidated net profit for the fourth quarter ended March 31 — lower than market expectations — as clients held back tech spends amid global headwinds. The company also cut revenue growth forecast for FY27 to 1-4 per cent from 4-4.5 per cent guided for FY26, citing uncertainty in the business environment.

Consolidated net profit during Q4FY26 stood at ₹4,488 crore compared with ₹4,307 crore in Q4FY25. The IT services firm posted a consolidated revenue of ₹33,981 crore, a 12.3 per cent rise from ₹30,246 crore in Q4FY25.

MD and CEO C. Vijaykumar said that apart from seasonal weakness in the software business, delayed client procurement decisions towards the end of March weighed on revenue, which came in below the company’s expectations.

“We saw select clients scale back discretionary investments across both digital business and engineering services during the quarter. Some of this impact is likely to be carried into the next quarter,” Vijaykumar said, adding that the company has seen some moderation in new deal bookings.

“The business environment remains highly fluid, making it difficult to form a definitive view of how the next 12 months will unfold,” said Vijaykumar. He said that the company has client-specific challenges in America that will create headwinds to the growth in FY27.

For FY26, the company reported a consolidated net profit of ₹17,361 crore, marginally down from ₹17,390 crore in FY25. Revenue for FY26 stood at ₹1,30,144 crore compared with ₹1,17,055 crore in FY25.

The company announced a dividend of ₹24 per share.

Headcount up

The firm reported an increase in its workforce in the March quarter, even as it remained cautious on fresher hiring amid slowing demand. Total employee strength stood at 2,27,181 at the end of Q4FY26, up from 2,23,420 a year ago.

Chief people officer Ramachandran Sundararajan said the company continues to emphasise independent audits of workplace misconduct processes, with reporting at the highest levels of management.

“It’s one thing to have the right policy, set out procedures, build channels, and create awareness. But it is equally important to have independent audit and verification to assess whether these measures are adequate,” he said.

His remarks come amid heightened scrutiny of workplace practices following the TCS Nashik row.