Stalin inaugurates Cognizant's new Chennai facility

CHENNAI: Ramping up its operations, IT behemoth Cognizant launched its new 5,000-seater hybrid work facility in Chennai on Tuesday.

At the event where Chief Minister MK Stalin opened the Chennai facility, a top official said the company would soon look to replicate its new hybrid working model by opening up a new centre in south.

Later this week, Cognizant will set up its second hybrid work facility, but with a lesser capacity, in Kochi, it is reliably learnt.

As the pandemic made work from home as the new norm, many employees had gone back to their native locations. Therefore, Cognizant has been seriously evaluating the need to establish workspaces in tier 2, 3 locations so that it can be a win-win for all the stakeholders.

Interacting with the media, Rajesh Nambiar, CMD, Cognizant India, said the hybrid model is aimed at promoting collaborative work, besides lending shape to the concept of embracing the 'look up' philosophy.

Elaborating, he said the normal tendency is to 'look down' or to remain glued to the computers while working, whereas in the hybrid model, the makeover of the existing facilities besides setting up newer ones, would be done in such a manner that it would facilitate the transition from a cubicle-driven culture to an open and more easy, informal and collaborative workspace.

The company was in the process of consolidating its operations that would lead to better utilisation of resources and efficient cost management, he added.

Cognizant is planning to hire 50,000 people this year. Last year, it had hired 33,000 people.