WEF 2026 | AI will kill and create jobs as Indian IT enters new growth cycle: Cognizant CEO

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar highlighted the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the Indian IT sector and the global technology industry. He emphasized that while AI will lead to the elimination of certain IT roles, it will simultaneously generate new jobs, ultimately boosting productivity and fostering a new growth cycle. Kumar described the coming years as critical for the sector, anticipating double-digit growth driven by increased adoption of AI-powered solutions.

The CEO noted that enterprises are recalibrating their technology investments around generative and agentic AI—tools that enable businesses to accomplish more with fewer resources. This shift is expected to unlock business value beyond traditional IT infrastructure and permeate core operational processes. In this evolving environment, the Indian IT services industry is well-positioned structurally to capitalize on AI advancements.

Kumar also discussed the broader economic impact, stressing the importance of creating millions of formal jobs annually to support India’s ambitions for a $30 trillion economy and a per capita income between $15,000 to $20,000. He mentioned his discussion with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the skills India will require to thrive in the AI era, underscoring the need for lifelong learning initiatives to prepare the workforce for AI-driven transformation.

Cognizant’s growing partnerships, such as its expanded collaboration with Microsoft to help enterprises adopt AI at scale, further reflect the strategic pivot toward AI-native operations. Overall, AI is poised to drive significant innovation and growth within the Indian IT services sector, marking 2026 as a pivotal year for the industry.