Jatin Dalal on Cost Optimization
From Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp ($CTSH) Q1 2026 Earnings Call · · Castify Earnings Call
“We are initiating a new program called Project Leap. This program is designed to accelerate our transformation to the operating model of the future by funding investments in our AI capabilities and partnerships, integrated offerings and platforms, reshaping productivity, and upskilling our workforce. The program is expected to deliver savings in 2026 of approximately $200 to $300 million with a full-year benefit in 2027.”
On , Jatin Dalal, Chief Financial Officer at Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp, spoke about Cost Optimization during Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp ($CTSH) Q1 2026 Earnings Call on Castify Earnings Call.
About Jatin Dalal
Jatin Dalal, Cognizant’s chief financial officer, said on the company’s first-quarter 2026 earnings call that the midpoint of the 2026 guidance “assumes a little bit of improvement in discretionary spending in the second half.” He described large deal bookings as “very healthy” and noted that growth was driven by new opportunities from existing and new customers. Dalal also announced Project Leap, a transformation program with expected costs of $230 million to $320 million, substantially all incurred in 2026. He stated that Cognizant is “evolving our commercial models towards fixed and outcome-based pricing” and that several clients are exploring “tokenized rate cards” that price work along a continuum from human-led discovery to autonomous agentic delivery. On the fourth-quarter 2025 call, Dalal said Cognizant expected to return approximately $1.6 billion of capital to shareholders in 2026, including about $1 billion in share repurchases. He also noted that the company was “evaluating a potential primary offering and secondary listing in India.” Earlier, on the third-quarter 2025 call, Dalal increased adjusted operating margin guidance to approximately 15.7%, representing 40 basis points of expansion, and reported a one-time non-cash income tax expense of $390 million related to a deferred tax asset write-off due to the July U.S. budget bill. On the second-quarter 2025 call, he cited changes in U.S. Medicaid policy as a factor expected to weigh on near-term discretionary demand from payers and providers.