From Our Correspondent
Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said Visakhapatnam is rapidly transforming into a full-fledged IT ecosystem, powered by the state government’s new policies and accelerated project execution. He made the remarks after laying the foundation stone for Cognizant’s new technology campus at Kapuluppada IT Hills.
Cognizant is investing ₹1,583 crore to build the facility across three phases, with completion targeted by 2033. The first phase is expected to be ready by 2026, until which operations will continue at a temporary office. Designed to accommodate 25,000 employees, the campus will focus on AI, machine learning, digital engineering and cloud solutions.
Naidu said Visakhapatnam has evolved from a naval base into a tourism hub and is now emerging as a major tech city. With strong connectivity, future metro and airport upgrades, and quality of life advantages, he described Vizag as “one of the most livable and fast-growing cities in the world.” The city already hosts over 150 tech companies, and eight more firms also performed ground-breaking ceremonies alongside Cognizant on Friday.
The CM highlighted that global majors including Google are setting up data centres in Vizag, and said the city is on track to become a key centre for AI, data infrastructure and the knowledge economy. He reiterated the state’s push towards becoming a 135-billion-dollar economic region by 2032, supported by low operational costs and policies such as offering IT land at 99 paise per acre.
At the ceremony, Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar made a significant announcement: the company, which earlier committed to 10,000 jobs, will now create 25,000 jobs in Visakhapatnam. The decision came after a brief discussion with the Chief Minister prior to the event. Calling Vizag his “second home”, Ravi Kumar said Cognizant is eager to expand in the city’s rapidly strengthening tech ecosystem.
Separately, eight other companies—including Tech Tammina, Satva Developers, ImagineNovate Tech Solutions, Fluentgrid, Motherson Technologies, Quarks Technosoft, ACN Healthcare RCM Services and Nanrel Technologies—launched their projects. These firms together are bringing ₹3,740 crore in investments and are expected to create 41,700 jobs.