In what is shaping up to be a crisis, over 600 experienced professionals who accepted job offers from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) have been left jobless and financially stranded after the company indefinitely delayed their onboarding without notice. The Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), which first raised the alarm and sought intervention from the Labour Ministry, claims this is a “criminal breach of trust”.
Responding to EdexLive’s report, TCS has assured that all offers will be honoured but joining dates may shift as per business needs. Meanwhile, the human cost of these indefinite delays is mounting, with stranded professionals sharing accounts of broken promises and corporate negligence that have upended their lives.
Documented deception and broken promises
A professional with eight years of experience, on the condition of anonymity, described to EdexLive how TCS orchestrated his early departure from the previous employer , only to abandon him at the final stage. "I interviewed in April and received my offer letter in May. Though previous employer has a 90-day notice period, I provided 60 days' notice with a scheduled joining date in mid July," he explains.
"TCS called asking if I could join earlier. All communications were documented via email. The HR approved my early exit, revising my resignation date, with a new TCS joining date in early July ."
However, promises quickly unravelled. "After the joining date passed, I received no onboarding communication. I visited the TCS office as it seemed like the HR manager had switched off her phone for around 15 days. They claimed my background check was pending, but if that was true, why did they not ask me this earlier, when they were calling me almost every week to ask me to join earlier?"
The situation deteriorated further as the professional allegedly discovered systematic erasure of commitments. "The joining date suddenly vanished from their system. Only the location remained visible with no joining date."
When he explained his family's financial dependency, the response, he claims, was generic: "The HR replied that they would provide a new joining date shortly after I mentioned that my family members depend on me and I have a child's education to manage. This became their standard reply. Everything went silent afterwards with phones switched off."
The professional alleges that TCS continues recruiting despite the crisis: "Their portal still conducts interviews. This stems from their 35-day policy, where numerous internal employees wait without projects. If they have idle staff, why hire experienced professionals who already have jobs?"
Historical research shows this isn't isolated: "This practice started in 2023. In 2024, people scheduled to join in July received onboarding in October, with some waiting until January. They systematically delay by quarters."
Pattern of false assurances?
Another affected professional, on the condition of anonymity, describes the ongoing psychological agony of empty promises: "For the past three weeks, they repeatedly promise weekend updates. Yesterday, they called to say they would update us this weekend. This continues endlessly."
When pressed for concrete timelines, TCS allegedly deflects responsibility: "They claim it's not in their hands but with the hiring department, and they will update accordingly."
The scale becomes clear through historical precedent: "Last year, people affected in October were onboarded in May 2025. Over 600 people share the same worry about managing daily expenses."
The uncertainty forces difficult decisions: "Many people are withdrawing their resignations. Others have already crossed their last working day and remain suspended between jobs."
For professionals with families, the situation is particularly devastating: "I am married and completely confused. For three weeks, I have been extremely worried. We cannot visit the office, HR doesn't answer calls, and no emails are responded to."
Communication, when it occurs, allegedly offers no substance: "Sometimes they call to say they will update us this week. When we ask for specifics, they claim to know nothing and provide no support."
The timing makes things worse. With hiring freezes in certain sectors like logistics, finding other jobs is nearly impossible. People who resigned early in good faith are now stuck with no income and no answers.
For over 600 professionals left in limbo, quick government action is the only hope to hold companies accountable and protect people’s livelihoods.
