Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar's Compensation Surges 18% in 2025, Reaching $10.7 Million

Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S's Compensation Rises 18 Percent to $19 Million in 2025

Cognizant's CEO, Ravi Kumar S, saw his compensation increase by 18 percent to $19 million in 2025, despite his realized earnings standing at $10.7 million for the year. The rise in target pay was driven by higher long-term incentives and a salary hike, with the compensation committee linking 93 percent of the package to performance metrics such as revenue growth, margin expansion, and large deal momentum. This structure is aligned with US industry practices and is designed to retain leadership as the company pushes its AI-led strategy.

The realized compensation remained significantly lower than the target, largely because performance stock units granted during the year are scheduled to vest over multiple years and are contingent on meeting performance conditions. The realized pay included a base salary of $1.3 million and an annual cash incentive of $4.39 million, which was paid at 169 percent of target. Additionally, $4.99 million in restricted stock awards were realized, but no value was realized from performance stock units during the year.

This pay hike follows a year of strong operational performance for Cognizant, which reported over $21 billion in revenue with 7 percent growth and continued momentum in large deals. Cognizant's CEO pay ratio also widened, with realized pay at 76 times the median US employee salary and 237 times the median global employee pay, reflecting its India-heavy workforce base.

| Metric | Cognizant's Performance | Industry Average | | --- | --- | --- | | Revenue (2025) | $21 billion (7% growth) | - | | CEO Pay Ratio (US) | 76 times median salary | - | | CEO Pay Ratio (Global) | 237 times median salary | - |