Cognizant Technology Solutions has accused Infosys of misappropriating trade secrets from its healthcare software, TriZetto. In a court filing dated February 7, Cognizant stated that Infosys had unauthorized access to TriZetto’s software under non-disclosure agreements (NDAAs) but later repurposed the data to develop its own product.
This filing comes after Infosys had countersued Cognizant, claiming that the company and its CEO, Ravi Kumar, engaged in anti-competitive practices to hinder the growth of Infosys Helix, a competing healthcare platform.
Cognizant’s Legal Battle Against Infosys
The lawsuit was initially filed by Cognizant’s subsidiary, Cognizant TriZetto, in a Texas federal court. The complaint states that Infosys misused TriZetto’s software to create “Test Cases for Facets,” which allegedly repackaged TriZetto’s confidential data into an Infosys product. Cognizant’s software, including TriZetto’s Facets and QNXT, is widely used by healthcare insurance companies to automate administrative processes.
In its latest court response, Cognizant claimed that Infosys refused an audit of its use of TriZetto’s software. The IT firm urged the court to compel Infosys to produce all related documents.
Infosys Refused Audit, Says Cognizant
According to Cognizant, Infosys resisted transparency when confronted about the alleged data misuse. The filing states that Infosys refused to comply with an audit explicitly permitted under NDAAs, instead asking Cognizant to trust its claim that no wrongdoing had occurred. Cognizant argues that Infosys’s refusal further indicates misconduct and has requested the court to intervene.
Infosys and Cognizant’s Long-Standing Rivalry
The dispute between Infosys and Cognizant is not new. Tensions escalated after Cognizant appointed former Infosys President and Deputy COO Ravi Kumar as its CEO. Infosys previously accused Cognizant of poaching key executives, a claim that was also made by Wipro in a separate lawsuit.
Wipro had filed cases in both the US and India against two former executives, Mohd Haque and Jatin Dalal, for joining Cognizant. The matter was settled in July 2024.
As the legal battle continues, Infosys and Cognizant remain locked in a high-stakes dispute over alleged trade secret violations and executive poaching.
