Cognizant Bets on AI-Ready Talent, Plans to Hire Up to 25,000 Fresh Graduates in 2026
Cognizant counters AI job-loss fears by expanding campus hiring, aiming to onboard 25,000 fresh graduates as productivity and demand rise.
Even as conversations around artificial intelligence often revolve around job cuts and automation-led downsizing, Cognizant Technology Solutions is taking a noticeably different path. The IT services giant is preparing to significantly expand its campus recruitment drive in 2026, signalling confidence that AI can create opportunities rather than reduce entry-level roles.
The company plans to bring on board between 24,000 and 25,000 fresh graduates next year — a sizeable increase from its recent hiring numbers. At a time when many technology firms are slowing down recruitment and rethinking workforce expansion, especially for junior positions, Cognizant’s move stands out as a vote of faith in young talent.
In 2025, the company hired close to 20,000 freshers. According to its leadership team, most of these recruits have already transitioned into live client projects, while only a small portion remains in training. This faster onboarding process has encouraged the company to raise its hiring ambitions for the coming year.
The hiring roadmap was shared alongside Cognizant’s latest quarterly financial results. Chief Financial Officer Jatin Dalal said the company expects fresher intake to grow by roughly 20 percent. “We hired close to 20,000 school graduates in 2025 For next year we plan to increase this by about 20%. So we, we would be very happy to land around 240000-25000 for 2026,” he said.
Addressing the widespread concerns that AI might shrink employment opportunities, Cognizant’s management offered a contrasting view. Instead of replacing people, the company believes AI tools and automation platforms are simplifying complex workflows. Tasks can now be broken into smaller, manageable components, allowing junior employees to contribute sooner and more effectively.
This evolving delivery model, executives say, is helping fresh graduates become productive much faster than in traditional setups. As a result, entry-level employees are seen as valuable contributors rather than long-term trainees.
Chief Executive Officer Ravi Kumar highlighted how strategic collaborations with leading AI companies are shaping this approach. “So our thesis is as we continue on our partnerships with Anthropic, Gemini, OpenAI, Microsoft, and all the AI platforms, you will notice that the value can be drifted to the bottom, distributed, and we can have a broader pyramid,” he said.
The company’s performance metrics appear to support this strategy. Over the last year, revenue per employee rose by about 5 percent, while profit per employee climbed nearly 8 percent, indicating improved productivity without proportional increases in headcount.
During 2025, Cognizant expanded its overall workforce by nearly 14,800 employees, representing around 4 percent growth. Meanwhile, revenue increased at a faster rate of 6.4 percent in constant currency terms. The December quarter alone saw the addition of approximately 1,800 employees.
Looking ahead, Cognizant plans to continue focusing on key markets such as India and the United States. By equipping fresh graduates with AI skills early and blending human expertise with digital tools, the company hopes to sustain growth and stay competitive — proving that technology and talent can advance together rather than compete.
