Cognizant to ring Nasdaq opening bell

CHENNAI: After Infosys, it is now the turn of Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation to ring the Nasdaq opening bell from India.

The IT and BPO services provider will ring the bell remotely from its techno-complex in Chennai on March 5 at 9:30 a.m. (EST). On July 31 last year, Infosys had opened the Nasdaq Stock Market from Mysore. Cognizant is the second IT firm to open the Nasdaq from India.

Cognizant said in a statement that it along with Nasdaq will co-host two celebrations—one in Chennai at its techno-complex and one in New York City at Nasdaq’s MarketSite, 4 Times Square.

“Cognizant is honored to open the Nasdaq market from India, commemorating our rapid growth as a global services firm since our initial public offering nearly nine years ago and India’s emergence as a global leader in the IT and BPO services industries,” said Francisco D’Souza, president and CEO of Cognizant.

“Nasdaq is delighted to be opening the market with Cognizant, the first offshore IT services company to list on our market,” said Charlotte Crosswell, head of Nasdaq International. “Since its listing in 1998, Cognizant became the first offshore IT consulting company to join the Nasdaq-100 Index and has reached impressive milestones. Nasdaq is delighted to be back in India to remotely open the market, and it is an honour to hold the ceremony in Chennai at one of Cognizant’s state-of-the-art facilities.”

Cognizant listed on Nasdaq in June 1998. Since that time, the company has become one of the top-tier global IT services firms, surpassing $1.4 billion in annual revenue in 2006. In 2004, Cognizant was named to the Nasdaq-100 Index, and in November 2006 was selected to join the S&P 500 Index—the first global offshore IT services firm to achieve this distinction.

The Nasdaq Remote Opening Bell ceremony is a recreation of the daily opening bell that takes place in the Nasdaq studio. Both the opening and closing bell ceremonies are broadcast live on Nasdaq’s Times Square Tower and are televised by global television stations.

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