Rajesh Nambiar quits Cognizant, appointed Nasscom president-designate

Rajesh Nambiar

Rajesh Nambiar stepped down from Cognizant as its India Chairman and Managing Director on August 21. He has been appointed as the president-designate of the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom). He will succeed Debjani Ghosh, whose term ends this year in November 2024.

"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 leader," Nasscom said in a statement.

Cognizant has appointed Rajesh Varrier to replace Nambiar, who will assume the role from October 1, 2024. Varrier has also been given charge of Global Head of Operations, effective September 2, 2024.

Varrier will be based in Bengaluru and will report to Ravi Kumar S, Cognizant's Chief Executive Officer.

"The job of India Chair is deeply important to our culture and 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,” Kumar was quoted in a release.

Keshav R Murugesh, former Chairperson and head of Search Committee of Nasscom said the primary focus had been to identify an India evangelist who can not only sustain but also accelerate today's digital 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."

Currently, Ghosh is a distinguished fellow at NITI Aayog, Debjani will be dedicating more of her time to advancing the agenda of India's readiness to lead in frontier technologies that benefit humanity and the environment.

"Joining @nasscom was the best career decision I had made 7 years back... it was immensely difficult for me to take the decision to step down as I complete my tenure in November this year, to pursue my dream," Ghosh wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Ghosh further said her fascination with frontier technologies has grown into a passion, and it’s now a dream to see India emerge as a global leader in these transformative fields. "I am super excited with the work I am doing at #NITIAayog to turn this vision into reality."

"Rajesh, a dear friend, colleague, is an exceptional leader, and with him at the helm of Nasscom, I know that this organization I hold so dear is in very safe hands," further wrote in the post.