HCL employees demand salary hike at Chennai event as CEO walks onto stage

A video from HCL Group's 50th anniversary event in Chennai showed employees chanting "We want hike" as CEO C Vijayakumar took the stage.HCL employees chanted 'we want hike' as the CEO entered the event stage. (Photo: X)An HCL employee event in Chennai took an unexpected turn after many attendees began chanting, "We want hike," as CEO C Vijayakumar walked onto the stage.What was meant to be a celebratory evening for HCL employees took an unexpected turn on social media. A video from the company's 50th anniversary celebrations in Chennai has gone viral after a section of employees began chanting, "We want hike," moments after HCL CEO C Vijayakumar walked onto the stage during a live event.The now-viral clip is from one of the concerts organised by HCL Group as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations across multiple cities. The Chennai edition featured an exclusive event for employees, complete with a live performance by singer Anirudh Ravichander.The video begins with a giant image of HCL CEO C Vijayakumar displayed on the venue's large screen. As employees cheer, Vijayakumar walks onto the stage to greet the crowd. Within seconds, however, the atmosphere shifts.A section of employees can be heard repeatedly chanting, "We want hike," with the slogan growing louder as the CEO acknowledges the audience. Despite the chants, Vijayakumar continues smiling and waving at employees before addressing the gathering.Watch here:The moment was first shared on X, where a user wrote, "When the CEO of HCL came on stage, employees started chanting, 'We want a hike!'" The clip has since spread across multiple social media platforms, drawing widespread attention.The video has prompted discussions online, with many users viewing the chants as employees using a rare opportunity to voice their expectations directly to the company's leadership during a high-profile event. Others saw humour in the situation, calling it an "honest employee moment" that unfolded in front of the entire crowd.The Chennai event was one of several programmes organised by HCL to commemorate its golden jubilee. Alongside employee interactions, the celebrations have included live concerts in different cities, with the performance by Anirudh Ravichander emerging as one of the biggest attractions for employees in Chennai.C Vijayakumar has served as HCL's Chief Executive Officer since 2016 and became the company's Managing Director in 2021. An electrical and electronics engineering graduate from PSG College of Technology in Tamil Nadu, he joined HCL in 1994 as a senior engineer and has since risen through the ranks to lead the technology company.While the anniversary celebrations were intended to mark five decades of HCL's journey, it was the employees' spontaneous chant for a salary hike that ended up becoming one of the event's most talked-about moments online.- EndsPublished On: Jul 28, 2026 16:40 IST