In October 2022, Kumar resigned from Infosys, and later joined as Cognizant CEO.
“In addition to recruiting away Infosys leadership, Cognizant is attempting to prevent Infosys from replacing payors’ non-Cognizant software with Infosys Helix by raising artificial barriers to interoperability with Cognizant products,” it said.
Kumar, during his tenure in Infosys, appointed Shveta Arora, Senior VP, Global Head of Consulting, as a co-executive sponsor for Infosys Helix. Kumar also relied heavily on Ravi Kiran Kuchibhotla, Senior VP and Head of Strategy, who actively supported Infosys Helix, coordinating service lines and staffing.
Both Arora and Kuchibhotla joined Cognizant in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Infosys also alleged that the anticompetitive scheme is causing significant financial harm to the company.
When asked about the counterclaim, Cognizant in a statement to TNIE said it is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity in all business operations and will take decisive action to address any allegations that compromise competitive standing.
“Cognizant encourages competition, but competitors cannot use Cognizant’s IP to unfairly compete, as Infosys has done. Cognizant’s software products are widely used in the marketplace for being best-in-class and most preferred among customers,” it added in a statement.