Cognizant names Rajesh Varrier as India CMD; Rajesh Nambiar resigns to join Nasscom

IT major Cognizant on Wednesday (August 21) announced the appointment of Rajesh Varrier as global head of operations and India Chairman and Managing Director following the resignation of Rajesh Nambiar, who is set to take over as Nasscom president.

Nasscom, in a separate release, announced the appointment of Nambiar as its president designate, succeeding Debjani Ghosh upon the completion of her term in November 2024. Notably, Nambiar has been member of the Nasscom Executive Council before being elected as the chairperson in 2023. Nasscom highlighted that his leadership and strategic initiatives have been instrumental in positioning India’s tech sector as a global leader.

Varrier’s responsibilities

A release by Cognizant announcing the top-level changes at the IT services company said Varrier's responsibilities will include operations, delivery excellence, workforce planning, India leadership council, expansion, and other key responsibilities.

He will provide regional leadership for Cognizant's India-based employees with a strong emphasis on driving company transformation programmes, and representing the company as it executes its growth plan across the country, the IT major said.

"Cognizant today announced the appointment of Rajesh Varrier as Global Head of Operations, effective September 2, 2024. Additionally, he will be appointed as Chairman & Managing Director, India, assuming the role on October 1, 2024, as Rajesh Nambiar leaves Cognizant to become president of Nasscom," the company said.

Varrier will be an executive vice president of Cognizant, reporting to Ravi Kumar S, Cognizant's chief executive officer. Varrier will be based in Bangalore, India.

Earlier stints

"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," the release said.

He also previously served as SVP of Digital Experience for the Microsoft business at Infosys. Before joining Infosys, Varrier was the CIO and Digital officer for Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance and founder of the analytics firm Activecubes.

He holds 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," said Ravi Kumar S.

He added that the job of India Chair is deeply important to Cognizant culture.

"...my years of working with Rajesh Varrier gives me great confidence that together, with our growing leadership team in India, we can continue to build upon our already strong foundation to be the employer of choice in India," Kumar added.

Nasscom’s announcement

In a separate statement, Nasscom announced Nambiar's appointment as its new president designate.

"Nambiar is an industry leader having worked and led global teams at TCS, IBM, Ciena and Cognizant...His leadership and strategic initiatives have been instrumental in positioning India’s tech sector as a global lead," Nasscom said.

The NASSCOM release quoted Nambiar as saying: "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."

Debjani Ghosh, current president, Nasscom, observed that the tech sector is pivotal to India’s growth and added that the IT industry association has played a key role in shaping India’s tech leadership globally.

"Leadership at Nasscom is fully empowered to carry forward the charter and I am confident that Rajesh will elevate it to even greater heights. I welcome him and look forward to working with him," she said.

As part of its continuous efforts to institutionalise itself through appropriate structures, systems and processes, Nasscom had constituted a search committee to appoint its next president. The committee was steered by Keshav R. Murugesh, Group CEO, WNS, and members included Harish Mehta, Som Mittal, Krishnakumar Natarajan, and Sindhu Gangadharan.

Keshav R Murugesh, Past Chairperson, Nasscom, and Head, Nasscom Search Committee, said, "We are delighted to welcome Rajesh as the President Designate and thank Debjani Ghosh for her phenomenal contribution to the industry."

Digital transformation in India

Noting that Nasscom stands on the brink of a monumental digital transformation, Murugesh said the association's primary focus had been to identify an India evangelist who can not only sustain but also accelerate this transformation.

"We are confident that Rajesh’s leadership will further propel the tech industry's growth trajectory, expand its footprint in new markets, and strengthen India’s position as a global technology leader, even amid macroeconomic uncertainties," he added.

(With agency inputs)