New Delhi: Amid a social media backlash over its annual salary offer of Rs 2.52 lakh for freshers, Cognizant on Sunday issued a clarification, saying the quoted salary applies only to candidates with a three-year undergraduate degree in non-engineering disciplines, not to engineering graduates.
Addressing the row, Surya Gummadi, EVP and President of Cognizant Americas, said: “Our recent job posting for talent from non-engineering backgrounds, with a 3-year undergraduate degree, has been grossly misrepresented. This job posting, with compensation of Rs 2.52 lakhs annually, was only for candidates with a 3-year undergraduate degree and not for engineering graduates.”
Gummadi emphasized that Cognizant offers engineering graduates a starting salary ranging from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 12 lakh per annum, depending on factors like the category of hiring, skill set, and industry-accredited certifications. He added, “The compensation we offer for engineering graduates is highly competitive within the IT services peer group.”
Cognizant hires non-engineering graduates for administrative and other roles and invests heavily in their training and upskilling. According to Gummadi, “We invest approximately Rs 2 to 3 lakhs per associate in the initial years to train, mentor, and upskill in advanced technologies. This is for both engineering and non-engineering associates.”
The confusion arose as Cognizant was running parallel recruitment drives, one for engineering graduates and another for non-engineering undergraduates. The latter’s lower salary package was mistakenly assumed to be the company’s standard offer for all freshers.
Cognizant has also been under scrutiny for issuing salary increments as low as 1 percent, which drew further criticism. However, the company clarified that the 1 percent hike represents the lower end of the 1-5 percent range, with the increments tied to individual performance and industry dynamics. “This year, we are one of the few IT companies in India that have delivered increments and bonuses for employees,” the company stated.
Gummadi highlighted the importance of India to Cognizant, noting that the country is home to over 70 percent of the company’s global workforce. He also mentioned recent expansions in Bhubaneshwar, Indore, and Hyderabad as part of the company’s efforts to bring offices closer to where their associates live.
Cognizant said it remains committed to investing in its talent, offering training in advanced digital technologies, sponsoring higher education, and providing leadership development programs. “Today, as AI increasingly powers modern businesses, we are creating new pathways for talent to thrive in India’s technology industry,” Gummadi said.
