Cognizant to roll out 100% bonus pay after hitting growth targets ahead of plan

Cognizant had earlier said it was targeting this milestone by 2027, but achieved it in 2025.

• Cognizant to offer 100% bonus pay in 2025 after joining "Winner's Circle"
• Company achieved top-tier industry status two years ahead of its 2027 target
• Cognizant led major IT firms with 6.4% revenue growth in CY2025.

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IT services major Cognizant Technology Solutions will roll out 100 percent bonus pay for 2025 after entering what it calls the “Winner’s Circle”, an internal benchmark of top-tier industry performance, two years ahead of its stated target.

“Our 2025 results are the direct outcome of your hustle, disciplined execution, and commitment to our clients and to Cognizant. To recognize this effort, I am pleased to share that we have authorized funding our discretionary bonus program at 100 percent,” Chief Executive Officer Ravi Kumar S said in an internal mail to employees accessed by Moneycontrol.

The company has over 350,000 employees, most of whom are based in India.

The Teaneck-headquartered company uses the term “Winner’s Circle” as an internal benchmark to signal that the company has moved into a top tier of performance within its global peer set, based on a combination of revenue growth, margins, and execution metrics.

The company had earlier said it was targeting this milestone by 2027, but achieved it in 2025.

“Reaching the Winner’s Circle ahead of plan reflects the consistency in our execution and the progress we have made on growth and margins,” the CEO said on the post-earnings analyst call.

The IT services firm beat its fourth-quarter revenue guidance, offering early evidence that its billion-dollar AI push is beginning to translate into growth, even as client spending remains measured, and sequential visibility stays cautious.

It is worth noting that Cognizant has not disclosed the individual payout method yet.

Also read: Cognizant plans to hire about 25,000 freshers in 2026 as AI boosts productivity

Growth comparison across peers and fiscal-year differences

Cognizant’s entry into the "Winner’s Circle" followed 6.4 percent constant currency (CC) growth in CY2025, the highest among large IT services firms.

Indian peers report on an April-March fiscal year, Cognizant follows the calendar year, and Accenture operates on a different fiscal cycle, making comparisons indicative.

On a like-for-like comparison by Moneycontrol, Accenture grew 6.25 percent, HCLTech 4.8 percent, Infosys 3.15 percent, TCS 0.78 percent, while Wipro declined 1.83 percent.

Also read: Cognizant calls time on the IT era, bets future on AI built delivery

How Cognizant measured ‘top-tier’ performance

Cognizant, in its earnings supplement, said its entry into the so-called Winner’s Circle is based on how its CC revenue growth ranked against a defined global peer group in 2025.

According to the company’s internal benchmarking, Cognizant’s revenue growth ranking among peers improved steadily over the last few years, moving from 10th place in 2022 to eighth in 2023 and then to sixth in 2024.

Also read: Cognizant offers reality check on Anthropic AI after Rs 2-lakh-cr IT rout, says value won’t shift magically

Over the same period, the gap between Cognizant’s growth and the peer average narrowed sharply, shifting from being 8 percentage points below the peer average to 3 percentage points below and finally to 0.5 percentage points above the peer average in 2025.

The company said this improvement allowed it to achieve “Top Tier” status in 2025, which it defines as being among the top four performers by revenue growth within its peer set.

The peer group used for this comparison includes Accenture, Capgemini, CGI Group, DXC, EPAM, Genpact, HCLTech, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, and Wipro.

To be sure, this is a relative improvement rather than absolute growth alone.