Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], February 11 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the new facility of IT firm Cognizant in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
Cognizant is a USD 19.4 billion, US-based multinational company. It is a part of the NASDAQ-100 and employs more than 350,000 professionals worldwide.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said, "The entry of Cognizant marks a significant milestone for New Odisha and further solidifies its reputation as a leading IT investment destination in the country."
CM said that Odisha has emerged as a "Destination of the Future" with a growing scale of investment, talent pool, and ambition.
All these factors have become the cornerstones of our state's journey towards growth and development, which is fuelled by a robust ecosystem encouraging entrepreneurship, technological innovation, and new-age businesses.
Echoing similar sentiments Tusharkanti Behera, Minister of State, Electronics & IT, Sports & Youth Services & Home added that, under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Bhubaneswar has become a global hotspot for IT, ESDM & Consulting companies.
With its visionary policies and vibrant ecosystem, Odisha has emerged as the undisputed leader in the IT domain, shaping the future of technology. The new centre of Cognizant will create more opportunities for the state's youth and drive the economy upward.
Manoj Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary, E&IT Department, Government of Odisha, said, "The establishment of a new Cognizant centre in Bhubaneswar not only signifies their confidence in our state's potential but also highlights the remarkable strides Odisha has made in attracting top industries to its burgeoning IT landscape."
Ravi Kumar S, CEO, of Cognizant, said, "We are excited to begin our expansion to Tier II cities with the opening of a new centre in Bhubaneswar. The state of Odisha has an entrepreneurial spirit, renowned educational institutions, strong infrastructure, and promising talent."
While acknowledging the unwavering support by the government, Ravi Kumar extended his thanks and complimented the unmatched speed and responsiveness of the Government of Odisha in facilitating the establishment of this centre.
The new Cognizant centre in Bhubaneswar is spread over 52,000 sq ft and is designed to accommodate 1000 of the company's associates in a hybrid work environment. It is located at the Odisha Technology Centre.
The new centre is projected to be expanded further to accommodate 5000+ associates in two years.
The facility enables associates to work in modern and collaborative spaces in diverse areas, including AI, ML, IoT, digital engineering, and robotic automation, among other advanced technologies.
Cognizant will continue to offer its award-winning learning and development programme to equip its associates with future-ready digital capabilities, helping them continually improve their capabilities to serve global clients.
It is pertinent to mention that the Electronics and IT Department of the Government of Odisha is making significant efforts to continuously attract major investments into the state in the IT/ITES and ESDM sectors.
As a result, recently, major IT/ITES/ESDM and global MNCs like IBM, PWC, Deloitte, Concentrix, Happiest Minds, Infosys BPM, Synopsys, and E&Y have set up their global development and outsourcing centres in the state.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by VK Pandian, Chairman 5T Initiatives, Nabin Odisha, Tusharkanti Behera, Minister of State, Electronics & IT, Sports & Youth Services & Home, Manoj Mishra, Principal Secretary, Electronics & IT Department, Manas Panda, Special Secretary, Electronics & IT, Ravi Kumar S, CEO, Cognizant, Rajesh Nambiar, CMD, Cognizant India, along with senior leadership and associates of the company.
As Bhubaneswar continues to thrive as a hotspot for global IT services and consulting companies, Cognizant will contribute immensely to the creation of employment opportunities for the youth and act as a catalyst for the overall growth of the IT industry and the economy of the state.