Mid-cap IT stocks crash 60-78%; TCS down 55% from peak
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
India's information technology (IT) sector is facing a broad and deepening correction, with several mid-cap IT stocks plunging more than 60 per cent from their all-time highs — outpacing the 55 per cent decline already recorded by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) from its record peak of ₹4,592. The sell-off, which has accelerated following a cautious demand outlook from global consulting giant Accenture, has wiped out a significant portion of the sector's market value as investor confidence in near-term growth wavers.
The Damage Across Large and Mid-Cap IT
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has fallen nearly 55 per cent from its record high, while Wipro is down 52 per cent, LTIMindtree has declined 50 per cent, and Infosys has shed 48 per cent from their respective peaks. Mid-cap names have fared considerably worse. Happiest Minds leads the losers, having collapsed roughly 78 per cent below its all-time high. Newgen Software has posted a 74 per cent decline, and Sonata Software has slipped 66 per cent from its peak.
Birlasoft, Tata Elxsi, and KPIT Technologies are each down more than 60 per cent, while Nucleus Software, Mastek, and Zensar Technologies have seen their shares halve from record levels, according to reports.
Accenture's Warning Fans the Flames
Accenture, the global consulting and technology services giant, slashed its revenue outlook for the current quarter — a move that left investors disappointed despite the firm posting healthy profits. For Indian IT, Accenture's guidance is closely watched as a bellwether for discretionary technology spending by Western enterprises. A weaker-than-expected print from Accenture typically signals that clients are tightening budgets, directly affecting order flows for Indian outsourcing firms.
Multiple brokerages have warned that demand uncertainty and geopolitical disruptions could continue to weigh on sector growth well into the medium term. Notably, this marks the third consecutive quarter in which forward guidance has broadly disappointed the street.
What Analysts and Global Banks Are Saying
Investment bank Morgan Stanley flagged that uncertainty could spill over into coming quarters and potentially affect FY27 guidance from India's top-tier IT firms. HSBC assessed that geopolitical disruptions — rather than concerns around AI-led productivity gains — drove much of the sector's weakness. The bank added that Indian IT companies continue to lack meaningful near-term catalysts, although sector valuations are now approaching trough levels.
Analysts also noted that fourth-quarter earnings and FY27 outlooks from India's leading IT firms largely missed market expectations, further eroding investor confidence.
Structural Headwinds Weighing on the Sector
India's IT sector — valued at around ₹26 lakh crore — derives nearly 57 per cent of its revenue from the US market, making it acutely sensitive to American economic conditions. Higher US interest rates have compounded the pressure by raising recession risks, which in turn could prompt clients in key overseas markets to cut technology spending and delay discretionary projects, as flagged in reports earlier in May.
This combination of macro headwinds, weak guidance, and geopolitical uncertainty has left the sector at a crossroads. Whether FY27 outlooks stabilise — or deteriorate further — will likely determine the pace and depth of any recovery.