Cognizant has launched its Talent Accelerator program with 489 newly hired B-school graduates from 58 business schools across 37 cities in India, strengthening its focus on interdisciplinary talent for the evolving AI-driven technology sector.
The two-week immersive onboarding programme is being conducted simultaneously at Cognizant facilities in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. It will familiarise new recruits with the company’s values while providing functional, sales and marketing training and opportunities to interact directly with business and leadership teams.
The cohort includes graduates from premier institutions such as IIM Bangalore, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, ISB Hyderabad, SPJIMR Mumbai, FMS University of Delhi and XLRI Jamshedpur. More than 37% of the recruits come from non-STEM backgrounds, including sociology, psychology, office management, secretarial practice and industrial design. Women account for more than 42% of the cohort.
Rajesh Varrier, President – Global Operations and Chairman & Managing Director, Cognizant India, said cognitive diversity is essential to creating value for clients and associates, adding that the programme aims to help new hires bridge AI capabilities with real-world business outcomes.
Cognizant’s expanded intake signals continued demand for management talent in India’s technology services sector, with Kolkata’s growing pool of business graduates and professionals positioning the city to benefit from the wider shift towards AI-enabled and interdisciplinary employment.
