Cognizant commits $250 mn for global CSR initiatives

IT services major Cognizant on Thursday announced a five-year, $250 million (about Rs 1,811 crore) initiative that will be spent towards advancing educational opportunity, diversity and inclusion, and health in communities globally.

Beginning in 2021, Cognizant and its foundations will expand grant-making in the US and India to new global markets where the company continues to grow its operations, including Australia, Canada, Germany, and the UK, a statement said.

In addition, Cognizant will introduce new philanthropic programmes to advance diversity and inclusion efforts in partnership with Cognizant’s Affinity Groups, it added.

"As a global company, we care deeply about unlocking human potential. We are determined to live our purpose of improving everyday life and apply our technology and business expertise to help tackle global problems," Cognizant Chief Executive Officer Brian Humphries said.

The $250 million initiative aims to create conditions for people to thrive by expanding access to education, healthcare, and technology, and by advancing diversity and inclusion in communities around the world, he added.

New programmes will also expand opportunities for employees to contribute their time and skills, and deploy additional COVID-19 relief funds that build on commitments made in 2020.

These included launching the Pandemic Response Challenge with XPRIZE, supporting clients in bringing vaccines to market, and assisting more than 100 million people with healthcare enrolment, the statement said.

To date, Cognizant and its foundations estimate they have impacted more than 4 million people, working with over 300 organisations to increase access to quality education and healthcare and improve economic mobility in communities where Cognizant operates.

More than 166,000 employees have volunteered their time and expertise in support of these efforts over the last five years.