TCS vs Workday: Founders, CEOs and History
TCS was founded in 1968 by J.R.D. Tata, F.C. Kohli and is led by K Krithivasan. Workday was founded in 2005 by Dave Duffield, Aneel Bhusri and is led by Aneel Bhusri.
Company facts
Founders
TCS
J.R.D. Tata
J.R.D. Tata was chairman of Tata Sons from 1938 to 1991. Under his leadership the group set up Tata Computer Centre in 1968, which became Tata Consultancy Services, initially to provide data-processing and management-consultancy services to Tata companies.
F.C. Kohli
Faqir Chand Kohli (1924-2020) moved from Tata Electric Companies to lead TCS in 1969 and served as its first general manager and later CEO until 1996.
Workday
Dave Duffield
Dave Duffield founded PeopleSoft, which grew into a major HR and ERP software vendor before Oracle acquired it through a hostile takeover completed in early 2005.
Aneel Bhusri
Aneel Bhusri co-founded Workday in 2005. He was co-CEO with Dave Duffield, then sole CEO from 2014, and later shared the CEO role before handing it to Carl Eschenbach in February 2024 and becoming executive chair.
CEOs and their tenures
TCS
- F. C. Kohli1969–1996
Co-founder and First CEO
By the time Kohli stepped down from executive responsibility in 1996, TCS-trained programmers numbered in the hundreds of thousands and had helped launch India's broader IT-export industry, earning Kohli the title 'Father of the Indian IT Industry' and India's…
Source - N. Chandrasekaran2009–2017
CEO
He became chairman of Tata Sons in February 2017 and also chairs TCS's board and Air India.
Source - Rajesh Gopinathan2017–2023
CEO and Managing Director
Under Gopinathan, TCS shares nearly tripled, revenue almost doubled, and profit rose about 60% over his six-year tenure -- one of the strongest CEO track records in Indian corporate history.
Source - K. Krithivasan2023–present
CEO and Managing Director
Under Krithivasan, TCS crossed $30 billion in annual revenue in FY2026 and grew its annualized AI revenue run rate to $2.6 billion by Q1 FY2027, even as dollar revenue was roughly flat amid weak discretionary IT spending.
Source
Workday
- Carl Eschenbach2022–2026
Former CEO
As co-CEO and later sole CEO, he aggressively pushed the platform beyond HR into the broader and highly lucrative enterprise financial management sector.
Source - Zane Rowe2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
He strengthened the corporate balance sheet, enabling strategic AI acquisitions while maintaining disciplined capital allocation.
Source - Aneel Bhusri2026–present
Co-founder, CEO, and Chair
He scaled the company into a dominant cloud SaaS provider, fundamentally reshaping the enterprise software market before handing over the CEO reins.
Source
Timeline: TCS and Workday side by side
1968TCS
TCS is founded
Tata Consultancy Services begins inside the Tata Group.
1969TCS
F.C. Kohli Joins as First CEO
F.C. Kohli is brought in on deputation to lead TCS, then a 10-consultant operation, and begins building an industrial, assembly-line approach to software delivery.
2001TCS
CMC Limited Stake Acquired
TCS acquires a majority stake in CMC Limited from the Government of India, adding systems-integration and public-sector technology capability.
2001TCS
TCS Crosses $1 Billion in Revenue
TCS becomes the first Indian IT services company to cross $1 billion in annual revenue, cementing its position as an industry leader.
2004TCS
TCS lists publicly
TCS completes its IPO and becomes one of India's most important listed technology companies.
2005Workday
Workday Founded
Dave Duffield and Aneel Bhusri found Workday after Oracle's takeover of PeopleSoft.
2006Workday
Workday launches
Workday, founded in March 2005, launches publicly in November 2006.
2009TCS
TCS crosses major global scale thresholds
TCS expands globally across industries and delivery centers under new then-CEO N. Chandrasekaran.
2012Workday
IPO
Workday lists on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2012; it later moves its listing to Nasdaq.
2013TCS
N. Chandrasekaran Becomes CEO
Chandrasekaran becomes CEO, leading TCS through a period of rapid international expansion before his 2017 elevation to Tata Sons chairman.
2018Workday
Adaptive Insights Acquired
Workday buys planning software company Adaptive Insights for about $1.55B, creating Workday Adaptive Planning.
2020TCS
F.C. Kohli Passes Away
F.C. Kohli, TCS co-founder and first CEO, dies at age 96, having lived to see the company he helped build become one of the worlds largest IT services firms.
2021Workday
Acquired Peakon
Workday acquired Peakon for $700 million.
2023TCS
K. Krithivasan becomes CEO
K. Krithivasan becomes CEO and managing director of TCS, succeeding Rajesh Gopinathan.
2024Workday
Carl Eschenbach Becomes Sole CEO
Eschenbach takes over as sole CEO in February 2024 and Bhusri becomes executive chair.
2024Workday
Acquired HiredScore
Workday acquired HiredScore.
2025Workday
Paradox, Sana, and Pipedream Deals
Workday closes the Paradox and Sana acquisitions and agrees to acquire AI integration platform Pipedream.
2026TCS
FY2026 revenue is reported
TCS reports FY2026 revenue of $30.017B and net margin of 19.8%.
2026TCS
Q1 FY2027 AI run-rate grows
TCS reports Q1 FY2027 revenue of $7.624B and annualized AI revenue of $2.6B.
2026TCS
Tata Sons chairman succession opens
On August 12, 2026, N. Chandrasekaran said he would not seek another term as Tata Sons chairman after February 2027; TCS shares fell about 4% on the news.
2026Workday
Aneel Bhusri Returns as CEO
Workday announces on February 9, 2026 that Bhusri is returning as CEO and Eschenbach is stepping down.
2026Workday
Fiscal 2026 Revenue of $9.552B
Workday reports fiscal 2026 revenue of $9.552B, up 13.1%, and GAAP net income of $693M.
2026Workday
Q2 Fiscal 2027 Results
Workday reports Q2 fiscal 2027 revenue of $2.649B and says AI drove more than 25% of new ACV.
Acquisitions
TCS
- W12 Studios2018Undisclosed
- Citigroup Global Services2008$505M
- CMC Limited2001Undisclosed
Workday
- Paradox2025Undisclosed
- Sana2025Undisclosed
- Pipedream2025Undisclosed
- HiredScore2024Undisclosed
- Peakon2021$700M
- Adaptive Insights2018$1.6B
Questions about TCS vs Workday
Who is the CEO of Tata Consultancy Services Limited and Workday, Inc.?
Tata Consultancy Services Limited is led by K Krithivasan and Workday, Inc. is led by Aneel Bhusri. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Tata Consultancy Services Limited founded vs Workday, Inc.?
Tata Consultancy Services Limited was founded in 1968 — 37 years before Workday, Inc., which was founded in 2005. Tata Consultancy Services Limited's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Workday, Inc..
How many employees does Tata Consultancy Services Limited have compared to Workday, Inc.?
Tata Consultancy Services Limited employs approximately 593,798 people, while Workday, Inc. employs approximately 21,070. Tata Consultancy Services Limited has the larger workforce at 593,798 employees, compared to Workday, Inc.'s 21,070. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Tata Consultancy Services Limited and Workday, Inc. headquartered?
Tata Consultancy Services Limited is headquartered in India and Workday, Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Tata Consultancy Services Limited and Workday, Inc.?
Tata Consultancy Services Limited was founded by J.R.D. Tata, F.C. Kohli. Workday, Inc. was founded by Dave Duffield, Aneel Bhusri.
Which company has a longer operating history — Tata Consultancy Services Limited or Workday, Inc.?
Tata Consultancy Services Limited has been operating for approximately 58 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Workday, Inc. has been in operation for around 21 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the TCS vs Workday overview