Naidu lays foundation stone for Cognizant’s Rs 1,600 crore Vizag campus
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday laid the foundation stone for Cognizant’s new 22-acre technology campus in Visakhapatnam, marking a major push towards strengthening the city’s position as a growing tech hub. The company also opened an interim techfin centre on the same day. IT and Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh joined the event.
The project will be developed in three phases by 2033 with an investment of Rs 1,600 crore. Cognizant expects the proposed campus to create more than 20,000 jobs. Work on the first phase will begin in 2026 and is scheduled for completion in early 2029. This phase will seat 3,000 associates, while the subsequent phases will take the total capacity to 8,000.
Naidu said the project aligns with the State government’s plan to attract global technology companies to Andhra Pradesh. He said the new campus will expand high-quality employment opportunities and strengthen the digital talent base in the region.
Lokesh said Cognizant’s entry marks an important moment in Visakhapatnam’s development as a centre for technology and financial services. He said the new centre will help local youth tap into a wider range of opportunities.
Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S said the company’s decision to expand in Visakhapatnam reflects its confidence in the city’s talent and long-term potential. He thanked the State government for its support and said the new centre will help the company accelerate innovation.
The interim techfin facility at Rushikonda, set up in a leased building, will operate until the first phase of the main campus is ready. It will focus on artificial intelligence, machine learning, digital engineering and cloud technologies. The centre includes a client experience zone and collaborative workspaces and can accommodate more than 1,000 associates.
Cognizant has been increasing its presence in tier-2 locations, with new centres launched since 2024 in Bhubaneswar, Indore and GIFT City in Gujarat. More than 70 percent of its 3.49 lakh global workforce is based in India. The Visakhapatnam campus adds to the company’s network across Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata and other major cities.