(This story originally appeared in on May 24, 2015)

BENGALURU: There's been a dramatic increase in the number of crorepatis and high-paid executives in Infosys in the past year, a move that analysts ascribe to CEO Vishal Sikka 's effort to align salaries with the market and stem the spate of top-level exits in the run up to his appointment in August last year.As many as 113 executives drew over Rs 1 crore in total compensation in 2014-15, up from a mere 18 in the year before. And as many as 202 drew over Rs 60 lakh, compared to just 72 in 2013-14. There was a quantum jump in the compensation of many executives. Several long-serving executives who did not figure in the 2013-14 list of those earning over Rs 60 lakh, drew more than Rs 1 crore last year. Almost all executive VPs earned between Rs 3 crore and Rs 4 crore, up from an average of Rs 1.5 crore in the year before.All the figures have been compiled from Infosys's annual reports, and a note in the latest report indicates that significant bonuses were paid to several executives in 2014-15.The Companies Act obliges firms to disclose the compensation details of every employee based in India drawing over Rs 60 lakh. Considering that several of the major new appointments that Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka has made included positions based overseas, especially in Palo Alto, US, where he himself is located, the actual number of crorepatis in the company now would be higher than that mentioned in the latest annual report. These executives include Michael Reh, head of Finacle and Edegverve, Kaustav Mitra, VP of innovation ecosystems, Abdul Razack, head of platforms, big data and analytics, Ritika Suri, head of corporate development, Sanjay Rajagopalan, head of design and research, and Navin Budhiraja, head of architecture and technology.Rival Wipro's annual report for the last fiscal year is yet to come out. In 2013-14, the company had 36 executives drawing over Rs 1 crore, and 114 drawing more than Rs 60 lakh. The numbers in that year were significantly higher than for Infosys, but it's likely that in the last year, Infosys has pulled way ahead of Wipro. The two companies are also comparable because they have similar overall employee strengths - Infosys has 1.76 lakh, and Wipro 1.58 lakh.Mervyn Raphael, managing director of global human resource management consulting firm People Business , said Infosys was setting the stage for a "certain equalization." "They are following the 80:20 rule - about 20% of high-potential leaders who drive the organization's strategy laid out by the new CEO are paid salaries above market. It's a well thought out strategy as the company is shifting gears in an evolving IT landscape. It's a small blip in the overall cost of operations, but the returns would be much higher," said Raphael.Hemant Upadhyay, managing consultant and leader of executive rewards practice, Hay Group India, described it as a correction in executive compensation structure. "The lines between salaries of senior talent outside India and here are getting blurred especially when companies like Infosys are sourcing global talent to position themselves as an attractive employer. Being based in India is no longer considered a disadvantage from a salary and talent standpoint," he said.Last year, coinciding with the CEO search, global human resources consulting firm Development Dimensions International (DDI) undertook a leadership benchmarking exercise in Infosys. DDI identified 150 top performers in the company, many of who are now drawing super-salaries. "Infosys built a retention programme around them. They also have to raise the salary levels to avoid any disruptions within the organization at a time when the company is attracting external talent," said an analyst who did not want to be named. Sikka himself came in at a salary of $5.08 million - a base salary of $900,000 and a variable pay of $4.18 million - making him one of India Inc 's highest paid professional CEOs.