TCS CEO pegs merit above quota

Tata Consultancy Services CEO and Managing Director S Ramadorai on Thursday felt merit alone should be the criteria for admitting candidates into institutes of higher education and said a move to expand quota system would hurt the industry.

Expressing his opposition to a proposal to increase reservation in premier educational institutions, he said measures to forcefully implement such a decision would hurt the industry badly.

Should IIT/IIM have quotas?

Ramadorai, said TCS planned to hire 8,000 people this year for its facilities in Chennai - which is home to the company's largest operations and almost 22 per cent of its total employees.

He also said the company would add 23,000 professionals (including the 8,000 in Chennai) by March 2007.

The China operations would be ramped up to 4,000-5,000 people in the next four to five years, he said.

Ramadorai said big-ticket deals that were signed last year were critical for TCS and would be delivered across multiple locations.