Viral video shows HCLTech staff chanting ‘we want hike’ at CEO

A viral video shows HCLTech staff chanting “we want hike” at chief executive C Vijayakumar during the company’s 50th anniversary event in Chennai.

The footage, shared widely across platforms including X and Instagram, captures a full auditorium erupting into the chant as Vijayakumar arrived on stage.

The chanting continued for some time as the CEO remained on stage during the proceedings.

The celebration formed part of HCLTech’s golden jubilee, marking the company’s 50th year in business.

The video has drawn a range of reactions online, with some finding it funny and others linking it to wider concerns about compensation in the IT sector.

Some viewers praised employees for voicing their concerns openly, while others said it was an inappropriate moment for such chants.

The clip has kept circulating since the event, with commentary continuing across social platforms.

Similar viral moments involving employees publicly airing workplace grievances at corporate events have periodically surfaced from other large companies in India in recent years, often prompting comparable debates online about appropriate conduct versus genuine expression of concerns.

The video’s spread illustrates how internal corporate moments, once captured on phone cameras and shared on social media, can quickly become part of wider public conversations about workplace culture and compensation across an entire industry.

C Vijayakumar has served as HCLTech’s chief executive officer, a role in which he has represented the company at major public events, including the golden jubilee celebration where the video was filmed.

The chant broke out as part of HCLTech’s golden jubilee celebrations in Chennai, an event that also featured other planned elements to mark the company’s fifty years in business.

Social media users were divided in their reactions, with some praising the employees for candidly expressing workplace concerns in a public setting, while others felt the moment undercut the tone of a company milestone event.

(Image: Itsbilluid (CC BY-SA 3.0))