Digital engineering services firm Happiest Minds Technologies plans to add between 750 and 1,000 employees in FY27 and targets 12.5% revenue growth, with the company betting on a growing pipeline, large deal wins and expansion in newer business areas.
"As per our plans, we should be adding 750 to 1000 people next year," Managing Director Venkatraman Narayanan said during post-earnings interaction with TNIE.
The company ended FY26 with about 6,500 employees and expects its average headcount to reach 7,250-7,500 during FY27, taking into account attrition and business demand.
The hiring plans come as Happiest Minds forecast 12.5% revenue growth for FY27 and aims to improve operating margins by around 100 basis points from the current level of about 17.5%.
Chief Executive Officer Joseph Anantharaju said the growth outlook was based on account-level planning and supported by a stronger deal pipeline.
According to the company, its pipeline grew 27% during FY26, aided by several large multi-year deals. The company also added around 50 customers during the year and said recently acquired businesses had been integrated.
For FY26, Happiest Minds reported revenue of Rs 2,315 crore, up 12.3% year-on-year. Adjusted profit after tax rose 9.4% to Rs 278.6 crore.
Narayanan said the company narrowly missed its earlier 10% constant currency growth target due to delays in recognising banking licence revenue.
"Our revenue growth in constant currency has been about 9.2%, which is a little shy of the 10% that we had guided, largely because some right shifting happened in our licence revenues, our banking licence revenues," he said.
On profitability, the company expects future efficiency gains to come less from higher utilisation and more from AI-led initiatives, workforce deployment and skill management.
At the same time, Happiest Minds is exploring a gradual shift towards fixed-price and outcome-based contracts, particularly in AI-led engagements.
"It'll be in our interest to try and move more into fixed price and outcome based so that our managed services... can capture more of the value," Anantharaju said.
The company also said it is strengthening its focus on the global capability centre (GCC) opportunity and has appointed a dedicated leader for the segment as it looks to expand its engagement with multinational companies operating engineering and technology centres in India.