A video from an HCL Group's 50th anniversary celebrations in Chennai, hosted recently by HCLTech, has gone viral after its employees were found to be chanting "We want hike" as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director C Vijayakumar stepped onto the stage. The video has caught the attention of people on various social media platforms.
The video, shared on X (formerly Twitter), shows a packed auditorium erupting into chants just as Vijayakumar arrives on stage. While some internet users viewed the moment as humorous, others said it reflected growing concerns around compensation in India's IT sector.
Viral video from HCL event grabs attention
It is alleged that the event occurred during an HCLTech event in Chennai, where its workers had convened in their celebrations. In the video that has gone viral, employees are heard chanting "We want hike" repeatedly, while their CEO remains on stage.
The video went viral on social media platforms, receiving many comments and views from people. While some users of social media made jokes regarding the courage of these workers, others observed that the chanting was reflective of the feelings of professionals in the technology industry. Some users of social media commended the workers for being able to voice their feelings freely, while others criticised the action, observing that it was inappropriate for a company event.
HCLTech CEO C Vijayakumar's pay rose nearly 67% in FY26
Moreover, this video clip has sparked discussions on executive remuneration following the discovery of a sudden hike in the remuneration package of the CEO, C Vijayakumar, through HCLTech's recent annual report. According to HCLTech's annual report for FY2025-26, C Vijayakumar was paid an overall remuneration of USD 18.13 million (about Rs 175 crore). This marked a 66.9 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
Vijayakumar, who is based in the United States, receives his salary through HCL America Inc., a wholly owned step-down subsidiary of HCLTech. His compensation package includes salary, performance-linked incentives, stock-based compensation and other benefits. The disclosure comes at a time when many IT companies continue to adopt cautious salary increment policies amid global economic uncertainty and changing client demand.
The juxtaposition of the salary increase of the CEO and the viral chant by the employees for a salary increase has sparked many discussions online regarding executive pay, employee expectations, and pay trends in the IT industry.
While there is no clear indication that the chanting was due to the increase in salary for the CEO, there has been much discussion going on on social media sites.
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