Cognizant’s Surya Gummadi: AI Will Rewrite the IT Services Playbook

Enterprises are spending millions on AI, but the returns are yet to reach their balance sheets. Cognizant’s President-Americas Surya Gummadi tells Anirban Chowdhury why companies must move beyond token consumption and isolated pilots to unlock real value. He explains how AI could reshape coding, testing, hiring and pricing across the IT services industry—and create $6 trillion in new opportunities. Gummadi also discusses Cognizant’s AI strategy, its acquisition playbook, the rise of GCCs, sovereign models and AI’s impact on healthcare. Plus, he reveals how Cognizant’s context agents uncovered $200 million in potential business within just four months.