Cognizant India CMD Rajesh Nambiar resigns to join Indian IT’s apex body

India’s apex technology industry association, Nasscom, has appointed Rajesh Nambiar as its President Designate. Nambiar will succeed Debjani Ghosh, whose term ends in November 2024. Nambiar, currently the India CMD of global technology major Cognizant, will step down from his role at the end of September to take on the new position. He has a rich history in the IT industry, having previously held leadership roles at prominent companies like Tata Consultancy Services, IBM, and Ciena.
What Rajesh Nambiar said on his new role
In his new role, Nambiar will focus on driving the Indian tech sector’s growth and innovation, particularly in the areas of AI, talent development, and IP creation. “This is truly an exciting time for the industry, as we focus on the accelerated transition to AI-first companies, making talent our greatest competitive advantage, driving growth, and increasing investments in IP creation and R&D. I am both privileged and honored to take on this opportunity to collaborate with all stakeholders to enhance the Indian tech sector’s capabilities,” Nambiar said.

Rajesh Varrier to take over as Cognizant’s India head

Meanwhile, Cognizant has announced the appointment of Rajesh Varrier, an executive from Infosys, as its Global Head of Operations and Chairman & Managing Director, India. Varrier will be responsible for overseeing Cognizant’s operations in India and driving its growth initiatives in the region. Based in Bangalore, Varrier will be an executive vice president of Cognizant, reporting to chief executive officer (CEO) Ravi Kumar S.
Prior to joining Cognizant, Varrier served as EVP, head of global services and Infosys Americas, as well as global head of Infosys’ Digital and Microsoft businesses. He also previously served as SVP of Digital Experience for the Microsoft business at Infosys. Before joining Infosys, Varrier was CIO and digital officer for Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance and founder of the analytics firm Activecubes. He holds both an undergraduate degree in Physics and a post-graduate degree in computer engineering from the University of Mumbai.
“Rajesh Varrier is a respected, experienced executive whose operational rigour and entrepreneurial spirit aligns well with Cognizant. As we drive further operational excellence, efficiency and a sharp focus on execution into our business model, this role is a natural orchestration point for our India-based operations,” Ravi Kumar S said.
He added that the job of India Chair is deeply important to Cognizant culture.