Wipro Limited set June 5, 2026 as the record date for shareholders eligible to participate in its ₹15,000 crore ($1.76 billion) share buyback, the largest capital allocation move in the company's 78-year history. The tender offer price of ₹250 per share represents a 5.72% slice of Wipro's total paid-up equity capital, with each share carrying a face value of ₹2. The board approved the program on April 16.

The buyback targets 60 crore shares, assuming full subscription at the offer price. Promoter and promoter group entities have signaled their intent to participate, though Wipro has not disclosed the proportional commitment. At current capitalization, the program will retire roughly 5.7% of outstanding equity, mechanically lifting earnings per share for remaining holders by an equivalent margin, absent operational changes. The company reported ₹2.64 trillion in market capitalization as of May close, placing the buyback at roughly 0.57% of total enterprise value.

The timing follows three consecutive quarters of muted revenue growth across Wipro's key verticals—BFSI, technology, and healthcare—as North American enterprise clients延stretched discretionary IT spending into late 2026. Management commentary in the April earnings call noted stabilization in deal pipelines but stopped short of declaring inflection. A ₹15,000 crore capital return, rather than accelerated M&A or organic investment, suggests the executive committee sees limited near-term deployment opportunities yielding above cost of capital. Indian IT services peers—Infosys, TCS, HCL Technologies—have similarly favored buybacks over transformational acquisitions since 2024, reflecting sector-wide caution on valuation multiples in software and consulting targets.

Shareholders of record on June 5 will receive tender offer letters by mid-June, with the acceptance window typically spanning 15-20 business days. Proportional acceptance applies if aggregate tendered shares exceed the buyback ceiling. The tax treatment remains favorable under Indian regulations: buyback tax abolished in 2020 means proceeds are taxed as capital gains in investor hands, with long-term rates at 10% for amounts exceeding ₹1 lakh annually. Foreign institutional investors hold roughly 22% of Wipro's equity; their participation rate will determine retail shareholder pro-rata acceptance.

The record date mechanic means shares purchased after June 4 will not qualify for the tender. Volatility around that threshold often compresses as arbitrageurs exit and long-term holders consolidate positions. Wipro's stock closed May at ₹238, roughly 5% below the buyback price, a spread that accounts for time value and execution risk. If the tender concludes by late July, the company will cancel the repurchased shares by September, completing the largest single capital return event in Indian IT services since TCS's ₹18,000 crore program in 2022.

The forward calendar now hinges on June 5 eligibility, then tender launch within 10 days. Acceptance closes 15-20 days later. Settlement and share cancellation follow within 60 days of program close, likely mid-September. Wipro's October quarter earnings will be the first to reflect the reduced share count, making year-over-year EPS comparisons mechanically favorable even if revenue growth remains subdued.