Karnataka job quota law must exempt highly skilled recruitment: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

The Karnataka government’s decision mandating reservation for Kannadigas in private firms should exempt recruitment in highly skilled areas, Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said on Wednesday (July 17).

The Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024 was approved by the state Cabinet on Monday (July 15).

The Bill makes it mandatory for industries, factories and other establishments in the state to appoint local candidates in 50 per cent of management positions and 75 per cent in non-management positions.

Mazumdar-Shaw said the mandate must not affect the state’s leading position in the technology sector.

In a post on social media platform X, she wrote, “As a tech hub we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy.”

(With agency inputs)