Overview

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a global professional services organization with more than 614,000 employees, faced mounting pressure to satisfy client demand for cloud capabilities while maintaining cost competitiveness. The company brought on over 100,000 new staff members during fiscal year 2022 alone. When TCS established its AWS Business Unit in 2020 and joined Amazon Web Services as a Global Systems Integrator partner, it recognized an opportunity: tapping AWS Education Programs to source entry-level talent already equipped with cloud skills. This approach proved far more efficient than the traditional 2–3 month training and certification cycle for new hires, enabling the company to deploy qualified professionals immediately to client engagements.

Opportunity: Building a Qualified Entry-Level Talent Pipeline

Founded in 1968, TCS has grown into one of India's largest software services providers, operating across more than 45 countries. The organization prioritizes continuous learning, with team members averaging 121 hours of training annually, and mandates upskilling across its workforce. To support rapid business expansion, TCS needed to hire entry-level professionals with cloud expertise at scale while ensuring they could handle complex client work. "We are focused on talent transformation using various AWS Education Programs," says Pallavi Rao, global delivery head of the banking and financial services AWS Business Unit at TCS.

The challenge lay in sourcing candidates who possessed both AWS certifications and the ability to contribute immediately to projects. "Getting entry-level resources from the market who have AWS Certifications and Training helps us immediately deploy these trainees in AWS projects," explains M Kalaa, entry-level talent acquisition leader at TCS. The company began investigating AWS Academy, which equips educational institutions with curriculum and resources to prepare students for industry-recognized cloud certifications and careers. TCS recognized that AWS Education Programs could unlock access to a larger pool of motivated, early-career professionals ready to work. Within the first two years of its AWS Business Unit, TCS hired nearly 500 graduates sourced through AWS Academy.

To maintain its Global Systems Integrator standing, TCS requires a substantial workforce holding AWS certifications. The organization leverages AWS Training and Certification resources to prepare new hires for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and AWS Certified Developer – Associate credentials before deploying them to clients. Over 19,000 existing employees have earned various AWS certifications through these programs. By hiring graduates who already held the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification—demonstrating foundational AWS knowledge—or the AWS Certified Developer – Associate Certification—showing core AWS service expertise and architecture understanding—TCS could dramatically minimize its internal training burden. "Trainees are excited to learn a lot, they like experimenting, and they deliver value to our clients," Rao notes.

Solution: Accelerating Deployment Through AWS Academy Graduates

TCS discovered that AWS Academy graduates demonstrated significantly stronger professional capabilities compared to candidates without the program's preparation. "We take 2–3 months to train and certify our new hires on cloud essentials," Rao states. "Entry-level candidates from AWS Academy quickly contribute to growth areas like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics."

The company maintains a workforce spanning 153 nationalities, with women representing 35.7 percent of its global staff. TCS is advancing diversity objectives by incorporating AWS Education Programs into its hiring strategy. AWS re/Start, a multi-week cohort-based workforce development initiative, has enabled TCS to onboard women returning to the workforce after career breaks. Additionally, TCS combines AWS Academy with its internal Youth Employment Program to help students from underserved rural regions obtain cloud certifications and access improved career prospects.

Today, TCS deploys AWS Education Programs graduates across its global client base in various roles. "We deploy entry-level associates as AWS developers, AWS engineers, DevOps engineers, data engineers, SysOps administrators, and more," Rao says. "They contribute to project delivery for various clients around the world."

Outcome: Scaling for Continued Growth

Following rapid expansion of its AWS Business Unit, TCS is positioned for accelerated scaling. The organization is executing multiple business transformation initiatives and developing new service offerings leveraging AWS infrastructure. "Customers are happy with the outcomes from AWS-Certified new hires who are working on multiple transformation programs," Rao reports. "The new hires are adding a lot of value from day one."

TCS intends to continue recruiting professionals holding AWS Academy credentials to strengthen its service portfolio globally. "We are looking forward to enhancing the skills of our workforce using AWS Cloud–native services to achieve exponential growth in fiscal year 2024," Rao concludes.

AWS Services Used

AWS Academy

AWS Academy delivers free, ready-to-teach cloud computing curriculum to higher education institutions, preparing students for industry-recognized certifications and in-demand cloud positions.

AWS re/Start

AWS re/Start is a cohort-based workforce development program that readies individuals for cloud careers and connects them with prospective employers.

AWS Training and Certification

This offering enables learners to gain expertise from AWS specialists, advance technical knowledge, and build careers in the AWS Cloud.

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

This credential validates foundational understanding of AWS Cloud, its services, and core terminology.

Source: AWS News Blog