MAM
Great Learning launches #HerFreshStart
MUMBAI: In a bid to encourage new mothers to reboot their careers and get back to the workforce, Great Learning, an EdTech company for professional education, announced the launch of its new initiative, #HerFreshStart. As a part of the initiative, the company will offer a scholarship of up to 80 per cent to selected mothers to enroll for their choice of career-critical programs like data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and dgital marketing.
According to a report by KPMG, 58 per cent of women feel less confident about getting back to work after pregnancy. The long gap that starts two to three months before delivery and lasts till six months or more after the delivery, takes its toll. This initiative by Great Learning aims to help mothers on a career break regain confidence in their professional abilities through upskilling. Great Learning is inviting people to nominate recent mothers (mothers who have taken a professional break due to maternity) in their circle to comment on our posts on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with #HerFreshStart and tag Great Learning and JobsForHer. The nominees can then submit their form with a Statement of purpose (SOP) with a brief introduction of their background and why they believe they deserve the scholarship. People can nominate deserving mothers for #HerFreshStart between 7 May and 10 May, by visiting Great Learning’s social media channels- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Mothers can also self-nominate themselves.
Great Learning co-founder Hari Krishnan Nair said, “Motherhood should be just a pause in a woman’s professional journey and not a full stop. Through this campaign, we aim to amplify the voices of new mothers – their stories, proud moments and career aspirations, and encourage them to return to work strengthened with better skills and credentials. Upskilling could be a game-changer for new moms, with opportunities continuing to open up in fields like analytics, AI, digital marketing and cloud computing.”
Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
