Cognizant has launched the Cognizant Ace Team Program, an India-focused initiative aimed at building a pool of AI-ready engineers to support large-scale digital transformation and AI projects for clients, according to an official statement.
The company said the program combines selective hiring, specialized training, and a centrally managed engineering community aligned with its advanced technology capabilities. Participants are expected to work on client projects involving AI-native tools, modern software architectures, and outcome-driven development approaches.
The IT company is investing in specialized AI engineering talent as enterprises move from AI pilots to production deployments. The company says the program will support faster delivery of AI projects, modernization initiatives, and the development of scalable platforms.
“The launch of the Cognizant Ace Team program marks a critical step in strengthening our engineering depth as enterprises move rapidly from AI experimentation to real-world execution,” Rajesh Varrier, President – Global Operations and Chairman & Managing Director, Cognizant India said.
Selection and hiring process explained
According to the company, candidates will be evaluated on technical skills, AI proficiency, and communication abilities rather than institutional background alone. The assessment process includes aptitude tests, technical evaluations, and interviews covering areas such as full-stack AI development, data structures and algorithms, prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation, and agentic AI.
Selected candidates are expected to join as full-stack AI engineers and work on client engagements involving AI applications, RAG pipelines, and agentic workflows.
In the initial phase, the program is open to existing offer holders and selected off-campus candidates. Cognizant said it may later expand participation to include premium campuses, partner institutions, internal associates, and lateral hires with one to three years of experience.