Bengaluru, November 5 — Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar urged technology companies to recruit more Kannadigas on Thursday, saying they should make up a majority of the workforce at IT firms. He also assured businesses that his government would protect them from harassment and moral policing.
Speaking at a corporate social responsibility event for government schools at Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar said Karnataka had a large pool of skilled workers. He called on employers to give local candidates greater consideration and said the state would leave decisions about the skills needed for each role to the companies themselves.
The remarks came as the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike stepped up its campaign for more private-sector jobs for Kannadigas. The organisation has approached companies, including Google in Bengaluru, to seek information on workforce composition and recruitment practices. It plans to compile its findings for the state government.
Shivakumar also acknowledged Bengaluru’s role as a global technology hub that draws workers from across India and abroad. His remarks renewed debate over a 2024 bill that proposed reserving a share of private-sector jobs for local candidates. The state government put the bill on hold after objections from industry representatives.