US-headquartered IT consulting and modernisation services provider Cognizant Technology Services has been consistent in targeting growth through investment in AI, and its plans on diversifying across industries and geographies with a focus on AI assets.

Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar’s $1 billion commitment in 2023 towards generative AI to be deployed over the next three years has translated into the firm’s fight to be back in the “winners’ circle” by 2027, as emphasised by the CEO in his communication to employees. The company recently announced the setting up of its AI Lab for research, and the Moment Studio dedicated to digital experience practice in Bengaluru are the key levers towards expanding the company’s AI innovation footprint.

With its three-vector AI strategy and strategic acquisitions to strengthen its position as an AI builder, Cognizant has managed to win new deals, with the CEO stating during an investor conference in October that the company has been closing four to five deals of over $100 million every quarter.

Forbes India caught up with Surya Gummadi, president, Americas at Cognizant for his insight into advancing the company through global large deals and GCC strategy. In his 25-plus-year career at Cognizant, Gummadi has borne witness to the company’s changing focus.

“Earlier, we focussed primarily on hiring technical talent, but now we are hiring industry practitioners, such as claims processors, insurance underwriters and other domain experts to train and validate AI agents that mimic real-world enterprise workflows,” Gummadi told Forbes India.

The company acquired Microsoft Azure services provider 3Cloud in November for an undisclosed amount, adding 1000-plus Azure specialists to its workforce. The acquisition will help Cognizant become one of Microsoft’s biggest Azure partners.

With the demand for AI application layer growing, Gummadi says Cognizant’s strategy shift is encouraging for the company and the industry in general. Edited excerpts:

Q. What is Cognizant’s AI strategy at large? How do you decide between bolt-on acquisitions versus in-house development?

Three years ago, when our CEO Ravi joined, he prioritised a $1 billion AI investment and accelerated our AI build-out across three strategic dimensions.

First is infrastructure—we have incubated AI labs in San Francisco, London, and Bengaluru with 30 full-time PhD researchers driving innovation and have 61 patents.

The second aspect is talent—we have rolled out code-assist platforms to all our developers, and recently conducted the world’s largest vibe coding event, and have trained over 200,000 associates in AI technologies through global partnerships and internal programs.

Third is platforms. We have built multiple internal........

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