Citizens & Cognizant mark 1,000 hires in Hyderabad
Mon, 18th May 2026 (Today)
Citizens Financial Group and Cognizant have marked the first year of their Hyderabad Global Capability Centre, which has reached 1,000 hires.
Launched in 2025, the centre is now moving into a new phase focused on AI, data and digital engineering. It supports Citizens' work in cloud modernisation, AI platforms, cyber security and digital product engineering.
The centre is part of an integrated global model linking teams in India with Citizens' US operations. Its work spans engineering, AI, data and business functions, with staff assigned to projects the bank considers mission-critical.
According to the companies, teams in Hyderabad have contributed to AI-based personalisation and client management tools, data platforms aimed at improving real-time insights and decision-making, and engineering practices designed to increase delivery speed and quality across systems.
The 1,000-hire milestone gives the Hyderabad centre greater weight in Citizens' broader technology strategy as the US lender expands offshore engineering and support functions. It also reflects a wider trend in financial services, where banks have grown technology centres in India to tap local engineering talent and support software, data and cyber security programmes.
Michael Ruttledge, Chief Information Officer and Head of Enterprise Technology & Security at Citizens Financial Group, said the pace of hiring showed how quickly the centre had grown within the bank.
"Reaching the 1,000th hire in Hyderabad in just one year reflects both the strength of our strategy and the exceptional talent we've built here," Ruttledge said. "The GCC is a core part of our global engineering engine, with teams in India working side-by-side with our US teams to build and scale AI-driven solutions, modernize our technology platforms, and shape the future of banking."
Cognizant has positioned the Hyderabad centre as part of its work with companies building dedicated delivery and engineering hubs in India. For service providers, such arrangements have become an important part of consulting and outsourcing relationships, particularly in sectors with heavy technology spending demands.
Cognizant's banking leadership said the centre reflects how global capability centres are evolving as clients seek closer links between technology teams and business operations.
"The Citizens GCC represents the next generation of global capability centers - where AI, engineering excellence and business integration come together to drive transformation at scale," said Nageswar Cherukupalli, Head of Banking & Capital Markets & Insurance at Cognizant. "With Citizens, we are building a model that delivers speed, innovation, and long-term value for the enterprise."
A separate Cognizant executive said the first year had established the Hyderabad operation as a strategic location for work tied to several of Citizens' priority areas.
"The first year of the Citizens GCC in Hyderabad marks a significant milestone in advancing innovation and transformation agenda. In a short span, the GCC has emerged as a strategic hub advancing key priorities cloud modernization, AI, cybersecurity and digital engineering," said Sailaja Josyula, SVP, Global Head - GCC Service Line at Cognizant. "As Citizens scales, the GCC is well positioned to accelerate enterprise-wide transformation and outcomes."
Talent focus
Citizens is treating India as a long-term source of technology talent, with further hiring planned in Hyderabad across AI, cloud, data and digital engineering roles over the next two years. It is also seeking to build a culture of learning, innovation and long-term talent development as the centre expands.
Alongside recruitment, Citizens is supporting the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Residential Degree College for Women in Telangana. The initiative includes investment in digital infrastructure, AI training and career-readiness support for more than 700 female students from underserved communities seeking routes into technology careers.
That programme highlights another feature of large corporate technology centres in India: companies increasingly tie hiring plans to education partnerships and skills-development efforts in local markets. For firms competing for engineers, these projects can help widen the future talent pool while also supporting diversity goals.
After its first year, the Hyderabad centre gives Citizens a sizeable base in India spanning engineering, data and AI work tied to its banking technology agenda, with the operation now at 1,000 employees.