The company has entered into a partnership with Sri Venkateswara College, Chennai to have an extended software solutions laboratory. Sridharan says that Cognizant would look at outsourcing its own IT requirements and also that of its client (if it is not of a sensitive nature and the client is agreeable to the idea) through such arrangements. The faculty and students would benefit as they would be exposed to the latest technologies and gain valuable experience in providing IT solutions. The institute could also look at the activity as a revenue stream.

Cognizant has taken initiatives to train the faculty of engineering institutions in Tamil Nadu. It has entered into an arrangement with Mepco Schlenk Engineering College, Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu for the same. Training the faculty has an enduring effect as they teach students year after year, Sridharan adds. The company plans to set up faculty development hubs across the state.

Another area where the company plans to lend its expertise is in helping the educational institutions develop computer based testing (CBT) material. The faculty possess domain expertise and CBT's would help in creating learning tools. This could also be an important revenue source for them.

When asked if Cognizant targets second rung institutions and undertakes these activities in order to reduce its attrition rate, Sridharan says it is not a factor (Cognizant has an attrition rate of 11 per cent). Products from Venkateswara and Mepco are comparable with those from the country's best institutions. Cognizant's entry level pay is the same for students from different institutions. From these initiatives Cognizant gets three benefits. First, it helps the company in fulfilling its social responsibility in a meaningful manner. Second, the training time for fresh recruits could be considerably reduced if they are provided a strong foundation and industry orientation at the college.