Event Participants
Executives
3 Mohit Joshi, Rohit Anand, Atul Soneja
Analysts
9 Ankur Rudra, Kawaljeet Saluja, Kumar Rakesh, Nitin Padmanabhan, Rod Bourgeois, Sandeep Shah, Sudhir, Surendra Goyal, Vibhor Singhal
Financials & KPIs
| Metric | Reported | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | US$1,660 million / ₹15,712 crores | +6.1% YoY reported, +6.6% YoY CC; +2.2% QoQ reported, +2.6% QoQ CC; organic CC growth +6.2% YoY |
| Constant Currency Growth | 6.6% YoY / 2.6% QoQ | Strongest revenue growth since transformation began; every vertical grew YoY |
| Deal TCV | US$1,078 million | +33.3% YoY; broad-based across BFSI, manufacturing, and healthcare verticals |
| EBIT / Operating Margin | US$238 million / ₹2,264 crores; 14.4% | +60 bps QoQ, +330 bps YoY; 11th consecutive quarter of margin expansion; led by volume growth and Fortius savings, partially offset by Comviva seasonality and mix |
| PAT | US$154 million / ₹1,465 crores; 9.3% margin | +16.2% YoY; +80 bps YoY margin expansion; effective tax rate 27.2% |
| Free Cash Flow | US$167 million | +94% YoY |
| DSO | 84 days | -5 days QoQ; aided by collection efficiency, accelerated payments, and FX benefit; some normalization expected |
| ROCE | 28.3% | +210 bps QoQ, +450 bps YoY; driven by enhanced profitability and disciplined capital allocation |
| Clients >US$50M | +7 YoY | Reflects deeper strategic client relationships and account expansion |
| IT Services Headcount | -7% YoY | AI-driven productivity in large fixed-price portfolio; hiring expected to resume in remaining year |
| Hedge Book | US$0.72 billion | MTM negative US$24.85 million (US$14.55 million in P&L, US$10.3 million in reserves) |
Geographic & Segment Commentary
Communications: Grew 1.3% YoY despite two headwinds - Comviva seasonality and one-time loss of cloud pass-through revenue from a client's post-acquisition insourcing. Large deal ramp-ups and stability in key accounts supported the quarter; Pune communications experience center hosted 10+ executive sessions since launch. Management remains optimistic on growth for the remainder of the year despite volatility in a large US telecom client.
BFSI: Grew 8.1% YoY and 2.7% QoQ. Healthy demand across payments modernization, wealth platforms, regulatory compliance, identity and access management, and AI-led transformation. Announced acquisition of Avant Techno Solutions, a Canada-based payments modernization and wealth platforms firm, to deepen presence in structurally high-growth segments where demand is expected to outpace traditional IT services.
Manufacturing: Grew 17.2% YoY and 9% QoQ - the strongest vertical - driven by sustained aerospace momentum and earlier-than-planned execution of a large European automotive program. Recognized as 2026 Google Cloud Partner of the Year in services and industry solutions for manufacturing. Auto demand is nuanced: some stress but less than peers, with auto finance showing resilience and consolidation opportunities emerging.
Retail, Travel & Logistics: Grew 8.6% YoY, supported by e-commerce expansion, logistics modernization, automation, warehousing, and last-mile delivery optimization. Macro environment remains mixed, but tailored digital, data engineering, and experience offerings are gaining traction.
Healthcare & Life Sciences: Grew 7.2% YoY and 2.5% QoQ, driven by providers and life sciences momentum, vendor consolidation, and AI-led discretionary spend. AI solutions catalog developed with hyperscalers is winning new clients; AI-related work contribution is growing within the vertical.
Technology, Media & Entertainment: Declined 1.7% QoQ on continued volatility in client spend.
Company-Specific & Strategic Commentary
TechM Helix / AI Strategy: Next phase of AI-led transformation; launched agentic development and modernization services portfolio embedding agentic AI across the application lifecycle. Orion platform has 20+ agents on Google Gemini marketplace with 100+ active users; 350+ deployable AI agents across industry and functional use cases. AI operations contributed an overwhelming majority of total BPS deal TCV in the quarter; more than 65% of associates AI-belt certified and 70% of eligible developers enabled to code with AI pair programmers.
Project Fortius: Margin improvement program delivered 11 consecutive quarters of expansion; levers include fixed-price productivity, T&M utilization, and portfolio company consolidation on SG&A.
Partnerships: Expanded Microsoft collaboration on AI-driven 5G network digital twin solutions for autonomous network operations; partnered with Kitsa for agentic AI-driven medical writing for pharma/biotech; signed multi-year engagement with Telefonica Germany for AI-first private cloud platform; deployed Perplexity Enterprise Pro across sales and client-facing teams.
Notable Deal Wins: US regional healthcare system (integrated applications and infra managed services), American autonomous driving technology company (HD map development and maintenance), global aerospace and defense company (end-to-end database administration), and global payments technology company (next-gen product engineering).
Portfolio Companies: Comviva continues momentum with revenue growth, improved margins, and healthy order book; Pininfarina is preparing for AI-led transformation of its mobility and architecture businesses.
Recognition: ISG named Tech Mahindra among top 15 sourcing standouts across Global, Americas, EMEA, and Asia; ranked #1 among Indian corporates in Time's World's Most Sustainable Companies list.
Guidance & Outlook
| Metric | Guidance / Outlook | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Peer-relative Growth | Above peer average for FY27 | Q1 already ahead of peers; supported by strong order book, large deal ramp-ups, and high NPS scores; management declined specific percentage guidance citing macro volatility |
| Operating Margin | 15% for FY27 | Q1 at 14.4%; incremental quarterly improvement expected; Q4 exit margin "upwards of 15%" |
| Q2 FY27 Revenue | ~1-1.3% sequential headwind from European auto acceleration | Accelerated program delivery won't repeat; to be offset by large deal ramp-ups (including Comms deal yet to start) and continued execution |
| Wage Increases | Effective Q2 FY27, phased | Announcement to employees in coming days; will partially pressure margins |
| Comms & Manufacturing | Continued YoY growth expected | Manufacturing remains positive ex-auto acceleration; Comms headwinds (Comviva seasonality, cloud pass-through) reverse in Q2 |
Risks & Constraints
| Risk | Context |
|---|---|
| Macroeconomic volatility | Management repeatedly caveated "enormous volatility" in the environment; Q1 beat was partly supported by a one-time European auto acceleration creating a ~1-1.3% Q2 headwind. Guidance remains conditional on no unforeseen macro developments. |
| Competitive irrationality | Competitors baking 70-80% productivity benefits into 5-7 year deals without visible client process/system changes, and guaranteeing infrastructure prices for 3-5 years despite 20% YoY memory/chip price inflation; TechM is stepping back from such deals, which could limit TCV upside. |
| US telecom client volatility | Ongoing volatility in a large US telecoms client could pressure the Comms vertical; management remains cautiously optimistic given large deal ramp-ups. |
| Client insourcing/consolidation | One-time cloud pass-through revenue was pulled back after a client's acquisition; similar "build vs buy" decisions could delay or shrink multi-year contracts, though management sees only one or two such examples. |
| Wage inflation & headcount | Phased wage hikes effective Q2 will pressure margins; IT services headcount is down 7% YoY due to AI productivity, and hiring must resume to support the growth trajectory. |
| Onsite-heavy deal mix | Large deals with rebadge components and growth in onsite-heavy enterprise application work (SAP, ServiceNow, Salesforce) limit offshore leverage and pyramid optimization this fiscal year. |
Q&A Highlights
Q2 Growth Momentum & Manufacturing Headwind
- Question: Will the growth momentum continue into Q2, and what drives it? (Kumar Rakesh)
- Answer: Q1 was stronger than expected for a seasonally weak quarter. Q2 benefits from continued ramp-up of large deals won over the past 12 months and healthcare momentum, offset by a ~1-1.3% sequential headwind from the one-time European auto acceleration. Management remains confident of meeting or exceeding peer-average growth for the full year. (Mohit Joshi, Rohit Anand)
Margin Path to 15%
- Question: How much gross margin lever remains, and what is the exit margin target? (Kumar Rakesh)
- Answer: Q1 gross margin was hit by visa/travel seasonality, Comviva seasonality, and dilutive European auto revenue. Going forward, margin expansion will be a mix of gross margin actions (fixed-price productivity, T&M utilization under Fortius) and SG&A benefits from portfolio company consolidation. Q4 exit margin has to be "upwards of 15%"; no one-off SG&A reversals this quarter. (Rohit Anand)
Demand Environment vs Share Gains
- Question: Was the beat planned or a surprise - is demand improving or is it share gains? (Ankur Rudra)
- Answer: The quarter came in higher than expected, partly due to European auto acceleration. Demand is shifting rather than collapsing: strong in modernization, ServiceNow/SAP/Salesforce, data and AI (Databricks, Snowflake, GenAI frameworks), and vertical packages (Guidewire, Temenos, LabWare); weak in manual testing, traditional big data, standalone e-commerce, legacy CRM, and legacy infra admin. Competition is "irrational at times," but demand is "not catastrophic." (Mohit Joshi)
Competitive Irrationality
- Question: Can you give examples of irrational competitor behavior? (Kawaljeet Saluja)
- Answer: Two examples: (1) Competitors baking 70-80% productivity benefits into 5-7 year deals that aren't visible without significant client process/system changes; (2) guaranteeing infrastructure prices for 3-5 years despite 20% YoY memory and chip price inflation. TechM has stepped back from both. Deal discipline remains intact. (Mohit Joshi)
Comms & Manufacturing Q2 Outlook
- Question: Can both verticals grow sequentially in Q2, and are ramp-ups getting delayed? (Nitin Padmanabhan)
- Answer: Both comms and manufacturing are expected to grow YoY. Manufacturing ex-auto acceleration remains optimistic; Comms headwinds (Comviva seasonality, cloud pass-through) will reverse in Q2. Wage hikes will be effective Q2 in phased fashion. No outsized client delays or cancellations - only one or two examples, and nothing out of the ordinary on ramp-ups. (Mohit Joshi)
Headcount Decline & Hiring
- Question: IT services headcount is down 7% YoY - will it keep declining? (Surendra Goyal)
- Answer: The decline is driven by AI-enabled productivity in the large fixed-price portfolio, with headcount repurposed rather than backfilled. Given the revenue growth trajectory, hiring will resume in the remainder of the year - a mix of fresh and experienced talent. (Mohit Joshi)
Auto/Manufacturing Demand Nuances
- Question: Are you seeing the US/Europe auto weakness that peers are flagging? (Vibhor Singhal)
- Answer: It's nuanced. Aerospace is seeing uptick in both IT and engineering demand. Auto customers are seeking AI for cost reduction and faster system changes; some auto cutbacks from last year are coming back, and auto finance is showing resilience. TechM sees less stress than peers and is finding consolidation opportunities. (Mohit Joshi)
Cash Flow & DSO Sustainability
- Question: Is the DSO and free cash flow improvement sustainable? (Kumar Rakesh)
- Answer: Q1 is typically seasonally weak for cash; the improvement reflected operational strength plus accelerated payments and FX benefit on the AR side, which will normalize. Working capital remains a strategic focus area for long-term improvement despite quarterly seasonality. (Rohit Anand)
Onsite-Offshore Mix & Pyramid Leverage
- Question: Is the offshore mix decline a margin lever still available? (Sandeep Shah)
- Answer: Large deals carry rebadge components that are onsite-heavy initially, and enterprise application demand (SAP, ServiceNow, Salesforce) is also onsite-heavy. Offshore reduction will only come as deals reach maturity - not this year. (Mohit Joshi, Rohit Anand)
Key Takeaway
Tech Mahindra delivered its strongest revenue growth since the transformation began, with Q1 FY27 revenues of US$1.66 billion growing 6.6% YoY in constant currency and ahead of peer average, as every vertical grew YoY led by manufacturing (17.2%) and BFSI (8.1%). EBIT margin expanded 330 bps YoY to 14.4% - an 11th consecutive quarter of improvement - while deal wins of US$1.078 billion (+33.3% YoY) and seven additional US$50 million-plus clients reinforced momentum. Management reaffirmed FY27 guidance of above-peer growth and 15% operating margin with Q4 exit above 15%, though Q2 faces a ~1-1.3% headwind from accelerated European auto delivery and phased wage hikes. AI-led strategy under TechM Helix anchors differentiation with 350+ deployable agents and an AI-first BPS pipeline. Key watch items include macro volatility, irrational competitive pricing, and US telecom client softness.