Buoyed by the second quarter results, the Nasdaq-listed Cognizant Technology Solutions has announced its plans to hire 5,000 people by the year-end, thus taking the company's total headcount to 14,000.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has stated that the recent suspension of eight IT firms, including itself, from a US green card programme will not impact its workforce strategy or customer engagements, citing its low number of applications and focus on local hiring.
'There's been a sense of FOMO, fear mongering and that has led to token consumption without linkages to ROI and without linkages to outcomes.'
The Indian government has ordered the removal of Jack Dorsey's Bitchat app from app stores, citing law-and-order concerns due to its ability to bypass communication restrictions. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued the takedown demand under Section 69(A) of the IT Act, 2000. The government also addressed the issue of banning minors from social media, indicating a search for a better solution than outright bans.
Apple has removed the offline messaging app Bitchat from its India App Store following a demand from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Developed by Jack Dorsey, Bitchat faced scrutiny under Section 69(A) of the IT Act, 2000, due to concerns about its potential misuse by anti-national elements and for evading lawful surveillance, especially during public disorder. This marks the second time the app has faced government action in India.
Cognizant has announced the launch of Technoverse Hackathon 2026, a national platform for engineering students to demonstrate AI-powered problem-solving skills in various industries. The hackathon aims to bridge academic learning with real-world applications and promote innovation.
'Indian IT firms must hire and train more Americans while reducing dependence on sending employees from India to the US.'
India has strongly criticised the US decision to suspend the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) program for eight major IT firms, including Indian giants like TCS and Wipro. New Delhi also condemned US Vice President JD Vance's description of foreign professionals as "indentured servants," calling it "unwarranted and deeply offensive." The move is expected to impact thousands of Indian tech professionals seeking permanent residency in the US and further strains bilateral ties.
'...but could demotivate employees seeking US residency.'
Nirma University has formed a three-member committee to investigate an incident where a professor allegedly grabbed a student's collar during a stand-up comedy show. The incident, captured in a viral video, led to apologies from both parties and protests from student organisations, prompting the university to launch a formal inquiry.
IT services giant Cognizant is embarking on a significant AI-led restructuring programme, Project Leap, involving an investment of up to $320 million, which will lead to workforce reductions across geographies and a strategic shift towards AI capabilities to boost productivity and margins.
Nasscom said while the visa programme has been used by companies to address the skill gap in the US by bringing in foreign employees, the number of H-1B employees from Indian companies have come down substantially over the last decade.
Cognizant's research reveals that companies seeking AI adoption favour IT services firms offering custom, full-stack AI solutions, prioritising flexibility and expertise over cost and speed.
Cybersecurity specialists warn AI-driven attacks require continuous threat monitoring instead of periodic security checks.
Indian information technology (IT) stocks, led by Infosys, experienced a significant selloff, dragging the Nifty to a two-month low, primarily due to escalating West Asian tensions pushing crude oil prices higher, and concerns over upcoming large IPOs diverting funds from secondary markets. The sector is also grappling with the long-term implications of AI disruption.
Indian IT companies have significantly reduced their fresh H-1B visa applications for US FY27, a direct consequence of soaring fees imposed by the Trump administration and new lottery system changes that prioritise higher-salaried employees, leading to a seven-year low in registrations.
Indian IT companies are experiencing a growing trend towards outcome-based pricing models, moving away from traditional time and material or fixed-price contracts, as artificial intelligence reshapes client engagement and deal structures.
N Chandrasekaran's exit marks a major shift for TCS, leaving its leadership to navigate AI disruption without the group chairman's deep expertise.
'One important clarification is that the reported US action is not a blanket cancellation of all US tourist visas.'
Kunal Shah, founder of CRED, has been appointed global head of WhatsApp, joining a growing list of Indian-origin executives leading major technology companies worldwide. This trend underscores the increasing demand for Indian talent in strategic leadership roles across Silicon Valley.
The Nifty IT index has been one of the worst sectoral performers in calendar year 2026, losing nearly 29 per cent till date compared to the 8 per cent dip in the Nifty 50 index.
The Delhi High Court has upheld the Indian government's decision to temporarily restrict access to Telegram, citing the messaging app's capacity for 'automated dissemination' of large content, which could facilitate misinformation during the crucial NEET-UG retest.
Cognizant's Chief AI Officer, Babak Hodjat, discusses India's unique position in AI enablement due to its strong technology foundation and skilled workforce, emphasising the continued importance of developers in the age of AI-generated code.
Cognizant's Chief AI Officer, Babak Hodjat, highlights India's unique position in AI enablement due to its strong technology foundation and large pool of digitally skilled people. He emphasises the continued importance of developers in the age of AI and Cognizant's focus on becoming an 'AI builder' company.
The EoI comes at a time when ISRO is working to enhance LVM3's payload capacity to five tonnes in GTO and is also evaluating the procurement of a Russian semi-cryogenic engine for the vehicle's second stage.
Accenture's revised annual revenue growth forecast and weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter guidance have sent shockwaves through the Indian IT sector, causing major IT stocks and the Nifty IT index to tumble significantly.
An industry-led AI curriculum taskforce has recommended shifting the present lecture-based teaching system for technical education to learning from real industry use cases and enhancing practical exposure of students.
Nasdaq-listed Cognizant Technology Solutions has signed a definitive agreement to acquire global engineering company Belcan for about $1.3 billion (Rs 10,853.7 crore) in cash and stock. The transaction is expected to close in the September quarter. The total consideration includes $1.19 billion (Rs 9,935.31 crore) in cash and 1.47 million Cognizant shares, valued at $97 million (Rs 809.53 crore) based on the information technology services provider's closing share price on June 7, 2024.
The Punjab Police has requested the Centre to direct ZEE5 to halt the airing of the docu-series 'Lawrence of Punjab' on gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, citing a significant risk to public order and potential influence on youth towards criminal activities.
Information-technology (IT) services major Cognizant has kept its full-year guidance on revenue growth unchanged at 3.5-6 per cent in constant currency even as the industry is becoming cautious about macro conditions because of tariff wars.
The Punjab Police has requested the Centre to direct ZEE5 to halt the airing of the docu-series 'Lawrence of Punjab' on gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, citing a significant risk to public order and potential influence on youth towards criminal activities.
Political leaders in Tamil Nadu, including TTV Dhinakaran and Anbumani Ramadoss, have strongly condemned the abduction and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore district. Two people have been reportedly arrested in connection with the incident.
Cognizant has said it aims to be back among India's top four IT services companies by 2027 by improving revenue, market share, bagging large deals, and gradual margin expansion. The Nasdaq-listed company does a major part of its business in India, but has trailed peers such as Tata Consultancy Services and Accenture over the last few years as growth tapered, margins squeezed, and attrition soared.
'We are considering this to ensure swift action on content for which the respective ministries have domain experts and can better determine the illegality of the content or the web site that needs to be taken down.'
The 15-year agreement will see Infosys develop a next-generation, data-driven workforce management platform to replace the existing electronic staff record (ESR) system, which annually manages a 55 billion payroll for 1.9 million NHS employees.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Cognizant and eight other major corporations have been questioned by US Senators for filing thousands of H-1B skilled labour visa petitions after conducting "mass layoffs" of American employees.
Information Technology (IT) major Infosys escalated the legal tussle with Cognizant by filing a countersuit in a US court, accusing the Nasdaq-listed firm and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ravi Kumar of anticompetitive practices by maintaining its monopoly. Infosys has also alleged that Kumar misused sensitive information that slowed the launch of the company's health care platform Helix.
Cognizant Technology Solutions has restructured its global growth markets (GGM) by appointing two internal leaders who will now share the responsibility. The move follows the exit of former GGM leader Rob Walker last month and is among the slew of leadership changes the company has seen in the recent past. GGM refers to the company's emerging markets outside of North America.
Cognizant Technology Solutions is infusing generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into all its core offerings, chief executive Ravi Kumar S wrote in an internal note to its employees. Cognizant has 351,500 employees, a majority of whom are in India. Kumar cited the example of a GenAI-enabled conversational virtual assistant (VA) that Cognizant has introduced to help clients reimagine experiences beyond chatbots.
