Representative image. Moheen Reeyad, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
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Why it matters
Bengaluru's tech companies employ lakhs of people from Karnataka and other states, so any move on local hiring affects job seekers and employers alike. The Chief Minister's warning is not a new rule, but it signals that the government is watching hiring practices. Whether it leads to action against a company or a revived quota bill will decide what changes for workers.
Kannadiga jobs are back at the centre of Karnataka politics. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Sunday, 25 October 2026, that his government would act against any private company found deliberately sidelining Kannadigas, people whose mother tongue is Kannada, when it hires. He made the remarks in a post on X after a video alleging bias by some Bengaluru IT companies spread on social media. The government has not named any company, and the claims in the video have not been independently verified.
What Shivakumar said about Kannadiga jobs in IT firms
In his post, written in Kannada, the Chief Minister called the complaints about unfair treatment of Kannada speakers in Bengaluru’s information technology companies disheartening, and said the government was taking them seriously. He wrote that in Karnataka “Kannadiga is sovereign”, according to the translation published by The Hindu, and that the rights, dignity and opportunities of Kannadigas would not be ignored.
He also said the world sees Bengaluru as India’s technology capital and that the state is proud of the skills of its own people. The warning itself was narrow: action would follow only if a private institution was found to be excluding Kannadigas on purpose. The post did not say which law or department would be used, or what form the action would take.
No IT company or industry body had responded publicly to the remarks in the reports available on Sunday evening.
The video that started the Bengaluru IT companies row
The trigger was a social media video by a woman job seeker. Hindustan Times reported that she alleged some Bengaluru IT companies were rejecting candidates who listed Kannada as their mother tongue on their CVs, and hiring people from other states at lower salaries instead of graduates from Bengaluru colleges. She asked the Chief Minister to step in. The Hindu reported a similar account: that resumes mentioning Kannada were being turned down and that the few Kannadigas hired were offered less pay.
The video also alleged that some employers preferred candidates who knew Tamil or Telugu, HT said. A separate post named one Bengaluru company with similar claims. HT said it had not verified the allegations, and NewsPlainly has not named the company because no official body has made any finding against it.
Pro-Kannada groups and members of the public asked the government to intervene, and Kannada activist Rupesh Rajanna warned of an agitation, according to HT, citing other reports.
Karnataka private sector reservation: the 2024 bill on hold
The row revives a debate the state has had before. In July 2024 the Karnataka cabinet, then led by Siddaramaiah, approved the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, which would have made private employers reserve jobs for local people. Reports at the time put the share at 50% of management posts and 70% of non-management posts (Scroll reported 75% for the second group).
The industry reaction was swift. Nasscom, the IT industry association, said its members were seriously concerned and asked the state to withdraw the bill, warning that companies could move out if local skilled staff became scarce, The News Minute reported. Within days, industries minister M.B. Patil said the bill would be held back until further consultation, Scroll reported, and it was never introduced in the Assembly.
Shivakumar, then Deputy Chief Minister, told reporters at the time that investors had no need to worry and that the state wanted talented people from outside to keep working there, Business Today reported. HT reported that earlier this year, as Chief Minister, he spoke of filling 56,000 vacant government posts and giving Kannadigas preference in private jobs.
What the local candidates bill would have required
Sunday’s warning is not a new rule. No law currently sets a quota for Kannadiga jobs in private firms, because the local candidates bill was never passed. The table below sets out what the cabinet-approved version proposed, drawn from reports of the bill at the time, against what applies today.
| Point | 2024 bill (proposed, on hold) | Today |
|---|---|---|
| Who counts as local | Born in Karnataka, living there 15 years, able to speak, read and write Kannada | No legal definition for private jobs |
| Management posts | 50% local candidates | No quota |
| Non-management posts | 70% local (some reports said 75%) | No quota |
| Kannada test | Needed if Kannada not studied in secondary school | None |
| Penalty | Fines reported at ₹10,000 to ₹25,000 | Warning of unspecified action |
The bill also allowed relaxation where local talent was short, but not below 25% in management and 50% in other posts, reports said. Employers would have had three years to train local people if qualified candidates were not available.
Why Kannadiga jobs matter to Bengaluru IT companies
The technology sector made up almost a quarter of Karnataka’s economy, The News Minute reported in 2024, and the state hosts more than 30% of India’s global capability centres, the offshore offices of foreign companies, along with about 11,000 startups. Many of those workers come from other states: Shivakumar himself said in 2024 that Bengaluru’s population had grown to 1.4 crore because people moved there for work.
That is why both sides of the debate over Bengaluru IT companies and local hiring watch every statement closely. Kannada groups say local graduates lose out in their own city; industry bodies have said that hiring limits could push investment elsewhere. Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh’s IT minister Nara Lokesh invited Nasscom members to move to Visakhapatnam during the 2024 row, Outlook reported. For a related Karnataka story, read our report on the Siddaramaiah sting video case.
What happens next with the Kannadiga jobs complaints
For now the government has made a statement, not an order. It has not said which department will examine the complaints, whether companies will be asked for hiring data, or whether the 2024 bill will be brought back. Any quota would need a bill passed by the legislature, and the 2024 version drew questions from industry about whether a state can set such limits on private hiring.
Job seekers who believe they faced bias have no specific law to complain under yet. The next signals to watch are any named action against a company, a reply from Nasscom or other industry groups, and whether the cabinet reopens the local candidates bill.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a law reserving private jobs for Kannadigas?
No. A 2024 bill proposing quotas for local candidates in private firms was approved by the cabinet but put on hold and never passed.
What did D.K. Shivakumar say about IT firms?
On 25 October 2026 he said the government would take appropriate action if any private company was found deliberately sidelining Kannadigas in jobs.
Which company is accused of bias against Kannadigas?
The government has not named any company. A social media post named one firm, but the claims have not been verified.
Who counts as a local candidate under the 2024 bill?
Someone born in Karnataka, living in the state for 15 years and able to speak, read and write Kannada, according to reports on the bill.