BENGALURU: HCLTech shares rose nearly 6% on the BSE on Friday after the IT firm announced a $1.1 billion mega deal with a Europe-based Fortune Global 50 enterprise, which people in the know told TOI is Mercedes-Benz. The agreement is among the largest AI-led deals announced by an Indian IT firm this year and underscores the growing scale of enterprise investments in AI.The people said Infosys previously handled parts of the engagement.The deal will see HCLTech establish an AI-driven operating model to transform and manage the automaker’s global digital workplace and enterprise network operations. The agreement runs from July 2026 through Dec 2031, with an option to extend it by another five years.HCLTech did not disclose the customer’s identity. When contacted by TOI, a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson declined to comment.


