Build story · India · 1968–2024
TCS: from a Tata division to India's most valuable IT company
TCS began in 1968 as a Tata division, grew through offshore delivery, Y2K work, and large outsourcing contracts, and became one of the world's biggest IT services firms with about 600,000 employees.
By Shivam Bhandari · Reviewed 31 October 2026 · How we write
by the numbers
- Founded
- 1968
- IPO
- 2004
- Revenue (FY2024)
- about $29 billion
- Employees
- around 600,000
What happened
Tata Computer Services was set up in 1968 as a division of Tata Sons, led by F. C. Kohli, India's ‘father of software’. In its early decades it worked on overseas projects at a time when importing computers into India was difficult.
TCS helped pioneer offshore software delivery, invested in quality certifications, and grew rapidly during the Y2K period when global companies needed large-scale code fixes. Its 2004 IPO was then India's largest.
TCS grew into one of the world's largest IT services companies, with revenue of about $29 billion in FY2024 and around 600,000 employees. It became one of India's most valuable listed companies.
Timeline
- 1968
TCS founded.
- 1990s
Offshore delivery and Y2K growth.
- 2004
IPO.
what made it work
- Early bet on software services.
- Quality certifications built global trust.
- Scale of skilled engineering talent.
the lesson
Building trust through process quality and scale can turn a cost advantage into a global leadership position.
Apply it to your business
- 1Certify and document quality to win global clients.
- 2Use waves of demand (like Y2K) to build scale.
- 3Invest continuously in talent.
Laws at work in this story
Figures are rounded and drawn from public reports, company filings and widely cited coverage at the time. Check the company's latest filings before relying on any number.