TCS hiring, cybersecurity moves under US, UK lens

BENGALURU: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is under scrutiny as lawmakers in both the US and UK press CEO K Krithivasan for answers regarding the company’s employment practices and cybersecurity protocols. US Senators Charles E Grassley and Richard J Durbin from the senate judiciary committee wrote to TCS CEO K Krithivasan, raising concerns about the company’s hiring practices.The senators said that while TCS laid off around 60 employees at its Jacksonville office, it continues to file large numbers of H-1B visa applications. In the 2025 fiscal, TCS received approval for 5,505 H-1B visas, making it the second-largest employer of newly approved H-1B beneficiaries in the US. The senators asked TCS to clarify whether it prioritises hiring foreign workers over qualified Americans during a period of layoffs.“TCS is already under investigation by the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission for allegedly firing older American workers in favour of newly hired South Asian H-1B employees. TCS is doing itself no favours by replacing Americans with H-1Bs during this investigation,” the letter read.TCS is also facing questions from UK Labour MP Liam Byrne, who wrote to Krithivasan demanding answers about the company’s role in recent cyber incidents at Jaguar Land Rover, Marks & Spencer (M&S), and Co-op.In his letter dated Sept 26, Byrne highlighted BBC reports that the M&S breach was triggered by a ransomware email “sent apparently using the account of an employee from TCS.”