Infosys Defers Annual Salary Hikes:  Infosys co-founder N. Narayana Murthy known for his strong opinions on work culture recently made headlines by suggesting that people should work up to 70 hours a week to drive India’s growth. Infosys has decided to postpone salary hikes for employees until the fourth quarter of the financial year 2024-25 breaking its tradition of implementing hikes at the beginning of the year. Why Did Infosys Delay Salary Hikes? The delay reflects rising challenges in the IT sector amid global economic uncertainty. IT companies in India fear a decrease in client spending on non-essential services prompting cost-control measures. It is noteworthy that the company last raised salaries in November 2023 but concerns about profitability have led to this delay. Work Culture Controversies And Narayana Murthy Murthy is a supporter of a strict work culture often attracting criticism for his views. recently he stated that he does not believe in work-life balance. His recent remarks on work culture and Infosys’ decision to delay salary hikes have reignited debates on social media where he is facing backlash. IT Sector Trends: Is the Crisis Deepening? Infosys is not the only IT company that has postponed salary hikes. Major IT companies like HCL Tech LTI Mindtree and L&T Technology Services have also delayed hikes in order to maintain profitability amid a challenging business environment. Balancing Profitability and Employee Retention The decision to delay salary hikes hint that growing difficulties have shadowed the IT sector. Companies must balance maintaining profits with keeping employees satisfied. Delay in timely salary increases could lead to higher attrition rates while implementing them may hurt profitability. It is noteworthy that the IT sector is facing a tough time and decisions like these reflect the sectors need to adapt to changing economic realities.