Collections; Returning Collections to the Source and Creating a Better World

The title might seem a bit out-of-the-box. But I would like to be honest here. I received a lot through a job with Infosys in two stints. There are three of these occasions I will highlight here among others. Freshly out of the college, I was given a job for my humble background in 2010. I worked for five years straight where I received a lot from the ecosystem around me and the affluent IT setting. The mesmerizing  campus in Mysore and the buzzing place in Hyderabad of the same company are highly sophisticated places to turn ordinary into extraordinary. By virtue of this job in Hyderabad, destiny had it that I set my footing in Hyderabad, own the city, receive from the people and the rest is history. In the second occasion of ‘collections’ phase, after failed attempts to work in US and switching jobs, I was once again employed in Infosys. This time I was in a bit of a momentum and was ‘extracting’ quite something. At this moment, I entered the company and the employees are generous to give me. This is in 2019 and after a phase of ‘receiving’, I got myself placed in a health care client in the beginning of 2020. I still feel working in a ‘health care’ client is an attempt to maintain my health after my health might have been deteriorated to pay for my ‘collections’. So much so that I am still working in health care domain from the past 6 years to balance the act of collections amid 7 years of working with present employer. On the third occasion, I set my foot in US through the IT job, which has two countries give me in plenty. This phase has me work in US for over 3 years through a period of fundraising. In these three occasions, I raised a lot of invisible money through this job of mine and I would like to return this amount with interest. I didn’t see the amount I raised nor do I know the amount to return. But all I know is I need to return. As a dialogue in a movie says, I received a lot and I need to return or I will become fat. Even if it is me, I still feel the collector should be destroyed and dead by now after these phases of collections. I fight to stay alive to return the debt. Even though the collections never materialized into something tangible for me like properties or funds etc, I guess everything is hanging in the air, waiting for a right time to shower upon. Or is the richest wealth accumulator live as a poorest beggar. Pertinent to say, after so much of fund raising, I live with zero savings and a lot of debt. I still don’t understand why I couldn’t encash my ‘collections’. Personally, this zero savings and debt means I am at a disadvantage and didn’t benefit at all from the work. Otherwise, who will engage in such a work which personally is a huge setback. I sincerely hope things will turn around at a personal level. 

Nevertheless, I would like to focus on the invisible collections raised and returning it to the source, for the greater good. Since I was given a great avenue for getting name, fame and achievements through my job, I would like to see the IT landscape in great territory in the near and distant future. The present and future generation of workers need it the most. After years of invisible fundraising and shaping two nations, the least I can expect is the return of the funds to their source. The ‘return’ means company should be in great standing with respect to its revenue creation and as a leader of the board, the entire Indian IT landscape should be in great financial standing. This is justice, justice should be delivered and we should all work towards making a reality. From what I can see, Indian IT hasn’t reached 50% of its true revenue potential. If a person like me raised a lot of funds through this medium and if this flow back to its roots correctly, the revenue generated will increase by two or three times. This is the optimistic projections of Indian IT landscape in next five years as well, where revenues are expected to double in most happy outcomes. Even if not double, there should be a great increase in fund flow to these great sources of present-day co-creators of world. 

Let us look at employment and revenue numbers of my company and Indian IT in general to make a case for most optimistic 5-year projections. Infosys today stands as one of the most enduring symbols of Indian technology excellence and ethical entrepreneurship. From its humble beginning in 1981 with a modest capital of ₹10,000, it has grown into a global digital powerhouse that embodies the journey of Indian IT — from service delivery to innovation leadership. In fiscal year 2025, Infosys recorded revenues of US $19.28 billion (₹1.63 lakh crore), marking a 4.2 percent growth in constant currency terms. Despite global economic headwinds and restrained client budgets, the company maintained an impressive operating margin of 21.1 percent, demonstrating remarkable operational resilience. 

What truly stands out in Infosys’s performance is its robust financial discipline. It generated a record free cash flow of about US $4.1 billion, representing nearly a 42 percent increase year-on-year, underlining its ability to convert growth into tangible shareholder value. Large deal wins worth US $11.6 billion, of which more than half were new clients, reaffirm its strong brand equity and client trust. For FY 2026, Infosys has projected 0–3 percent revenue growth with stable margins in the 20–22 percent range — a cautious outlook that reflects broader global uncertainty rather than internal weakness. 

In a realistic scenario, Infosys is expected to maintain a 5–8 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years. At this pace, its revenues could reach US $22.9 billion by FY 2028 and about US $25.8 billion by FY 2030. The company’s operating margin is likely to remain steady around 21 percent, supported by productivity gains, digital automation, and a focus on high-value service lines such as AI engineering, data analytics, cybersecurity, and hybrid-cloud modernization. 

In an optimistic scenario, Infosys could grow far more rapidly by successfully transitioning into productised offerings, intellectual property (IP)-based platforms, and deep partnerships in AI and digital transformation. If the company achieves a 10–12 percent CAGR, it could reach US $25.6 billion by FY 2028 and between US $31–34 billion by FY 2030. Such growth would depend on factors like stronger enterprise technology spending, continued global expansion, and breakthroughs in software platforms that generate recurring revenues. 

If achieved, this trajectory would not only elevate Infosys into a higher revenue bracket but would also make it a symbol of India’s next technological awakening — where innovation and IP creation, not just cost competitiveness, drive value. Margins could then improve to 22–24 percent, supported by a richer service mix and the scaling of automation and AI-led productivity. 

Infosys’s journey and its next phase carry a wider message for the Indian IT landscape. The company’s cautious FY 2026 outlook — despite strong cash reserves and large deal wins — reveals the real inflection point facing Indian IT: the era of easy volume-based growth is over. The next wave of expansion will come from product ownership, domestic digital demand, and intellectual depth. Infosys’s ability to balance large-scale delivery with a deep focus on innovation provides a template for how Indian IT firms can evolve from contractors to creators. 

Infosys is more than a corporate entity; it is a reflection of India’s technological soul. Its revenues and projections represent not just one company’s journey but the pulse of an entire ecosystem that feeds millions of careers, startups, and ideas. A five-year climb from US $19 billion to potentially US $30 billion would mark a transformation from being a vendor of digital services to being a builder of digital civilization. 

Looking at the overall Indian IT landscape, in fiscal year 2025, India’s technology and business services industry reached an estimated US $282–283 billion in total revenues, employing about 5.8 million professionals. Of this, nearly US $224 billion came from exports, underscoring how deep India’s digital integration with the global economy has become. The sector has evolved far beyond its early outsourcing model; today, it is equally defined by data analytics, cloud computing, AI engineering, cybersecurity, and enterprise automation. 

Three powerful structural trends are reshaping the sector’s future. 

First, Global Capability Centres (GCCs) — subsidiaries of multinational companies — are no longer low-cost delivery outposts. They have evolved into innovation and leadership hubs responsible for R&D, cybersecurity, and digital product development. India hosts over 1,600 GCCs today, and that number is expected to cross 2,000 by 2030. 

Second, the rise of Indian SaaS and software-product companies has begun to change the revenue mix. Platforms such as Zoho, Freshworks, and Chargebee have proved that Indian software can compete globally. Thousands of mid-sized firms are following that path, aiming for recurring revenue models that can multiply margins and resilience. 

Third, domestic digital demand — from banks, healthcare, government, and retail — is expanding fast. India’s digital public infrastructure (UPI, Aadhaar, ONDC) is catalyzing a homegrown technology economy, providing an enormous testing ground for Indian solutions before they go global. 

Under a realistic set of assumptions — steady macroeconomic stability, moderate policy incentives, and continued upskilling — the industry could maintain a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% through FY2030. That would lift revenues from about US $283 billion to nearly US $400 billion in five years. Employment would also expand, albeit more slowly, rising from 5.8 million to around 7 million by FY2030. 

But again, we need to look at optimistic case for the work done is too good. If India takes bolder, coordinated actions — combining private investment, public incentives, and academic collaboration — the growth trajectory could accelerate sharply. An optimistic CAGR of 12% would propel the IT sector to US $500 billion by FY2030, transforming it into a half-trillion-dollar knowledge economy. 

This model assumes large-scale skilling in AI, data, and cloud technologies; stronger incentives for software products and intellectual property creation; and expanded capital access for tech startups. Under such conditions, employment could surge to 9.5–10.5 million professionals, creating over four million new high-quality jobs within five years. These roles would be better paid, more research-driven, and widely distributed across tier-2 and tier-3 cities. In this future, Indian firms not only serve global clients but also build global products. 

 The IT industry is no longer about writing code cheaply; it’s about creating, owning, and monetizing knowledge. As India’s AI, cloud, and analytics capabilities expand, each engineer represents far greater value than before. The next frontier is not in expanding headcount but in deepening capability. 

By 2030, if India reaches even the realistic scenario of US $400 billion, it will have reinforced its position as the world’s trusted digital operations partner. But if it achieves the optimistic half-trillion target, it will redefine its global role — from a service provider to a creator of digital civilization infrastructure. 

India’s IT sector is the country’s most successful global story — a quiet revolution of minds that turned intellect into GDP. From US $283 billion today, it can rise to between US $400 billion and US $500 billion by 2030. Employment could cross seven to ten million, with an increasingly skilled, high-income workforce. 

This journey depends not only on market forces but also on willpower — of industry leaders, policymakers, educators, and workers. “Returning the collections to the source” means reclaiming intellectual sovereignty, ensuring that India’s technological creativity enriches its own people. As the globe gives it to India, India will win, globalization will win and the world will win in turn. 

In doing so, India’s IT landscape will not just power the global economy — it will illuminate the path for all developing nations seeking prosperity through knowledge.