Even as the Maharashtra Government Tuesday claimed Tata Consultancy Services has laid off376 employees over two quarters of the current fiscal from its Pune city campuses, Forum for IT Employees (FITE) — a group that speaks out for the welfare and rights of employees in Maharashtra — disputed the figure, saying nearly 2,000-2,500 employees have been retrenched in the past few months.
“The figure is completely wrong and false… It should not be 376 employees, the figure could be nearly 2,500 employees who have been laid off,” FITE chief Pavanjit Mane said on Tuesday.
FITE said besides the 376 employees whom TCS laid off, the over 2,000 remaining employees have been forced to quit. “What about the silent lay offs? These are employees who have been asked to quit. Cases of termination are different and those who are forced to quit are different. TCS claims that over 2,000 employees left on their own and were not laid off. The figure of 376 employees cited by the government must be those who were terminated. What about those who were forced to quit by TCS?” Mane said.
On Tuesday, Labour Minister Aaksh Fundkar told the Legislative Council that the information regarding the lay off of 376 employees was received from TCS. MLCs Uma Khapre, Praveen Darekar and Prasad Lad had raised the concerns of the IT employees that they were being laid off due to the growing use of AI. The concerns were raised during the Question Hour session in the council. The MLCs sought to determine whether 30,000 TCS employees being retrenched in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar was true.
Demanding a thorough probe against TCS, FITE said they have urged the state government in a letter to conduct a thorough investigation. “We want the state government to conduct a thorough probe into this lay off business of TCS. Why are employees being recruited and then forced to quit without they being at any fault? How can such a giant IT company deal with employees in such a callous manner? Some employees have been working for 10-15 years or more. Even they have been forced to quit overnight. Where will they go with their families?
This is inhuman treatment of employees who put their heart and soul into the progress of the company. And that is why we are asking the government to intervene and conduct a thorough investigation so that such activities of the IT giant come to a standstill,Z” Mane said.
FITE said the total dividend of TCS for the last fiscal was Rs 45,612 crore. “When it can distribute such a huge of amount of dividend for share-holding, can’t it take care of its own employees who slog for it day in and day out unmindful of their own health and finding little time for their own families? We dug out their dividend history because TCS had announced a Rs 1,200 crore package for those who were laid off.
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But it never kept its promise. None of the employees got anything,” Mane said.
The Government, based on information received from TCS, said there were 45,575 employees in the company’s Pune campuses. “In two quarterly periods of the financial year, the IT company has laid off 376 employees from Pune city after having discussions with them, serving notices and paying salaries,” Minister Fundkar told the Legislative Council. “The company management has informed the lay offs were of middle and senior managerial level positions and clarified the retrenchments were not due to AI use and automation.”
Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis.
Professional Legacy
Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles.
Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change.
Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities.
Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees.
Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area:
1. Political Shifts & Alliances
"Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala.
"BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls.
"Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections.
"NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections.
2. Civic & Administrative Accountability
"PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions.
"93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads.
3. Social & Labor Issues
"As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra.
"Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse.
Signature Beat
Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport.
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