Key Info
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Company | Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp, Teaneck, NJ, Nasdaq-listed |
| CEO | Ravi Kumar S, took over 2023, pushing turnaround after revenue dip |
| What | Salary hikes delayed to August 2025, bonuses in March—second year of 5-month delay |
| When | Hikes from Aug 1, 2025; bonuses from Mar 10, 2025 (eLetters week of Mar 10) |
| Old Schedule | Hikes and bonuses in March—shifted under Kumar (bonuses Mar, hikes Aug) |
| Announcement | Feb 27, 2025 town hall, Kolkata office; internal memo reported by Mint |
| Last Year’s Hikes | 1-5% range, rolled out August 2024—same delay pattern |
| Attrition Rate | 15.9% (Tech Services, Dec 2024), up from 13.8% (Dec 2023)—voluntary exits |
| Headcount | 336,800 (Dec 31, 2024 total) |
| Competitors’ Attrition | TCS: 13%, Infosys: 13.7%, HCL Tech: 13.2% (Dec 2024)—Cognizant’s losing more |
| Attrition Cause | Kumar’s redundancy cuts—3,500 sacked, 45% India office space closed (2023) |
| Revenue | $19.74B in 2024, 1.98% growth—mostly from Belcan ($1.3B) and Thirdera ($430M) buys |
| Organic Growth | Declined in 2024—acquisitions (200 basis points) propped up revenue |
| Competitors’ Hikes | TCS: 4.5-7% (Apr-Jun 2024), Infosys: 5-7% (Feb 2025), HCL: 1-2% (FY25), Wipro: 4-8% (Sep 2024) |
| Industry Context | Indian IT in defensive mode—US admin uncertainty stalls projects, per Peter Bendor-Samuel |
| Expert Take | Peter Bendor-Samuel, Everest Group: “Market spooked, sliding back to delay-and-cancel” |
| Employee Buzz | Early hike talk (5 months early) to curb exodus—former exec says it’s a red flag |
| Response | Cognizant dodged Mint’s email—radio silence on the drama |
| Key Move | Bonuses Mar 10, hikes Aug 1—desperate to keep talent from bailing |
Cognizant’s Playing the Delay Game Again, Bro
Cognizant’s at it again—hikes are shoved to August 2025, five months late for the second year running.
New CEO Ravi Kumar’s shaking shit up since taking over—bonuses hit March, but hikes? August, not the old March norm.
Our sources got the scoop—this Teaneck, NJ crew’s making employees wait while they figure out their next move.
Bonuses in March, Hikes in August—What’s the Deal?
Ravi dropped the word at a Kolkata town hall on Feb 27—hikes kick in August 1, no negotiating that.
Bonuses? They’re rolling out March 10 for eligible folks—eLetters hit inboxes that week, memo says.
Managers better spill the bonus beans by March 11, or it’s gonna get awkward fast.
Attrition’s a Bitch—15.9% and Climbing
Cognizant’s bleeding talent—attrition in their tech services arm jumped to 15.9% by end of 2024, up from 13.8%.
That’s worse than TCS (13%), Infosys (13.7%), and HCL Tech (13.2%)—the big dogs are holding tighter.
Kumar’s early hike announcement’s a desperate grab to stop the exodus—336,800 heads left to manage.
Ravi’s Redundancy Purge—3,500 Axed
Here’s the kicker—Kumar’s slashing fat, sacked 3,500 folks in 2023, just four months into his gig.
Closed 45% of India’s office space too—73% of their 355,300 crew was there back then.
No wonder attrition’s spiking—folks don’t stick when the axe is swinging wild, bro.
Hikes Ain’t Fat—1-5% Last Year
Last year’s hikes? A measly 1-5%—rolled out in August, same delay game as now.
Compared to TCS’s 4.5-7% on time in April-June 2024, Cognizant’s looking stingy as hell.
Infosys (5-7%), HCL (1-2%), Wipro (4-8%)—everyone’s playing lean, but Cognizant’s lagging hard.
Tech’s Holding Its Breath—US Drama’s to Blame
Peter Bendor-Samuel from Everest Group says it loud—Indian IT’s in defensive mode, spooked by the new US admin.
Market looked like it bottomed out, but now clients are stalling projects—delay-and-cancel vibes are back.
Cognizant’s revenue grew 1.98% to $19.74B in 2024—mostly from Belcan ($1.3B) and Thirdera ($430M) buys, not core grit.
Early Hike Talk—Desperate Much?
Ravi’s hyping hikes five months early—employees smell something off, bro.
A former exec told LiveMint it’s a panic move—Kumar’s signaling, Chill, hikes are coming, don’t bounce!
Cognizant’s dodging emails, but this reeks of a band-aid on a leaky ship—attrition’s a beast.
Bro, Tech’s a Grind—But Is This the Way?
Cognizant’s not alone—Infosys, HCL, Wipro all delaying hikes, except TCS keeping it real in March.
Ravi’s memo says bonuses March 10, hikes August 1—meanwhile, Capgemini’s Ashwin Yardi vibes at 47.5 hours, not this 60-90 hour madness.
Tech’s a pressure cooker—can Cognizant win without breaking its crew?
Good luck, bro—they’re sweating it!
