Held under the theme "Engineering the Frontier," the hackathon took place simultaneously in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Coimbatore and Kochi. The initiative provided employees with hands-on experience using OpenAI Codex, one of the industry's most advanced AI coding platforms, enabling them to build practical solutions for real-world business challenges.
The event reflects Cognizant's vision of fostering a strong AI Builder community where continuous learning, collaboration and experimentation drive innovation. Participants attended OpenAI-led masterclasses, worked alongside mentors, explored AI-assisted development techniques and showcased their ideas before business and technology leaders.
Earlier this year, Cognizant was recognized by OpenAI for its AI Builder capabilities and selected among leading global systems integrators to help expand the enterprise adoption of Codex.
Rajesh Varrier, President – Global Operations and Chairman & Managing Director, Cognizant India, said the hackathon marks an important milestone in equipping employees with practical expertise in frontier AI technologies while accelerating the development of enterprise-ready AI solutions.
OpenAI's Colleen Kapase, Vice President of Strategic Global Partnerships and Ecosystems, said the initiative demonstrates Cognizant's commitment to building AI capabilities at scale and transforming them into real business value for customers.
Building on the success of the event, Cognizant plans to expand the programme to more than 50,000 associates in the coming months, reinforcing its commitment to AI-driven innovation across its global workforce.