Cognizant to launch Visakhapatnam IT campus on Dec 12, eyes 8‑10 k jobs

Cognizant will launch its Visakhapatnam IT campus on December 12. Officials from the A.P. Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) stated that the site lies within the city limits and has been allocated by the government. The project involves an investment of about ₹1,600 crore and is expected to create 8,000 to 10,000 jobs by 2029. Many of these roles will be linked to artificial intelligence.

This development places Cognizant among the State’s key IT players. Infosys has already begun operations in Vizag, while TCS is preparing to start.

An APIIC official told The Coastal Times that 22.19 acres had been allotted to Cognizant at a nominal rate of Rs 0.99 per acre. The land, taken from the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority, is spread across six survey numbers. It is near the VMRDA Haritha Housing Complex at Kapuluppada. The site includes two parcels of 12.37 acres and 6.10 acres. Temporary space has also been given for the company to begin operations while construction continues.

Until the first phase of the campus is complete, Cognizant will operate from a plug-and-play office with 800 to 1,000 seats at Mahathi Bhavan on Hill No. 2 in Rushikonda.

Cognizant already runs major centres in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Kolkata, Chennai and Pune.

Andhra Pradesh Digital Technology Industry (APDTI) Network chairperson Sreedhar Kosaraju said the move will attract senior IT talent from across India. To help this, the State will offer employees an annual incentive of ₹1 lakh for three years under its new IT policy. He said global investment, backed by government support, can help Visakhapatnam become a leading IT hub.