Cognizant to acquire engineering company Belcan for $1.3 billion, expecting revenue slowdown

The deal would expand Cognizant’s footprint in the aerospace, defense, space and automotive sectors.

Also Read | Cognizant’s warning to employees defying return-to-office rule: You’ll be fired

Cincinnati-based Belcan, which has been owned by private equity firm AE Industrial Partners since 2015, employs 10,000 people across 60 locations globally.

Some of its clients include Boeing, General Motors, Rolls-Royce, the U.S. space agency NASA and the U.S. Navy.

“I’m excited about the fact that Belcan operates in a sector (aerospace and defense) which is actually growing faster than the sector we are operating in, which is IT services,” Ravi Kumar, Cognizant’s CEO said in an interview with Reuters. “So, it gives us an opportunity to evolve on that growth.”

Also Read | TCS to Cognizant: Who is the highest paid CEO in Indian IT sector?

“The capabilities that Belcan has, which is engineering and aerospace, can actually be cross-pollinated into the Cognizant strength area, which is primarily industrial manufacturing and automotive, ” Kumar added. “So, it’s a cross-pollination of services on both sides and the leverage of distribution networks on both sides.”

Cognizant said that as part of the deal, Belcan would continue to be led by its CEO Lance Kwasniewski and operate as a unit of Cognizant, according to the report.

Also Read | TCS chairman says WFH not a solution to sexual harassment: ‘Situation improves when…’

Cognizant, which has a market cap of $33 billion (Rs.2.75 lakh crore), is looking to strengthen its offerings in specialized areas as it braces for a slowdown in spending from clients.

It has cut its annual revenue forecast in the range of $18.9 billion to $19.7 billion, below prior expectations of $19.0 billion to $19.8 billion.