Visakhapatnam: In a landmark development that positions Visakhapatnam as India’s next major technology hub, Cognizant is set to begin its operations in the city ahead of other IT giants, such as TCS. The IT major will also lay foundation stone for its permanent footprint in the city on Friday.

Despite having received land only a few months ago, the company is proceeding at record speed to inaugurate its temporary office and lay the foundation stone for its permanent facility. In addition, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and IT Minister Nara Lokesh will also inaugurate, launch and lay foundation stones for a series of high-profile events and projects spread across Rushikonda IT Park and Kapuluppada on Friday. This marks a major milestone in Andhra Pradesh’s mission to accelerate IT-led economic growth.

The scheduled events on Friday mark one of the largest single-day IT infrastructure launches in Andhra Pradesh’s recent history. The pace at which the Andhra Pradesh government is moving ahead with its agenda reflects the state’s renewed push towards becoming a tech powerhouse at the national level, experts say. On Friday, IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh will inaugurate Cognizant’s temporary office at the Mahathi Building in Visakhapatnam. He will then launch Sree Tammina AI Technology Centre which is expected to create 2,000 jobs with focus on the next-generation AI innovation. Besides, foundation stones will also be laid for Nonrail Technologies, ACN Infotech and Sattva Vantage Vizag campus, a massive IT and data centre project. The Sattva’s campus is likely to create 25,000 jobs, making it one of the region’s largest upcoming tech investments.

Foundation stones will also be laid for Motherson Technology Services and Quarks Technosoft, among others. Motherson Technology Services will establish a sophisticated IT R&D Centre and Global Capability Centre (GCC), generating 700 jobs.

Thereafter, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Lokesh will jointly lay the foundation stone for Cognizant’s state-of-the-art facility at its permanent campus site. The company’s new Vizag operations are set to create 8,000 IT jobs, solidifying its role as a major catalyst in the region’s IT sector growth.

The Chief Minister and IT Minister will hold discussions with representatives from eight major IT companies, a strong signal of the state's commitment to facilitating world-class tech infrastructure and partnerships. With tens of thousands of jobs set to emerge from the newly announced projects and IT companies, Visakhapatnam is poised to leap forward as a major national and global IT destination.