The National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) on July 17 told information technology minister Priyank Kharge that it is crucial to attract the best global talent for the IT industry to remain at the forefront of innovation. This was in response to a post by Karnataka's IT minister on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), assuring the industry that no detrimental rules or laws would be enforced without due consultations with stakeholders.
“Talent is our greatest asset, and we are committed to growing the talent density within the state. However, it's crucial that we also have the ability to attract the best talent globally to keep our industry at the forefront of innovation,” the technology industry body responded to Kharge on social media platform X.
Just hours before the post, Nasscom demanded scrapping of a Karnataka bill that aims to reserve jobs for locals in the private sector, saying it would force businesses to relocate.
The bill was cleared in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and mandates 50 percent reservation for locals in management jobs and 75 percent in non-management categories in private firms.
However, the Karnataka government on July 17 decided to delay the implementation of the bill after facing widespread backlash.
Also read: Siddaramaiah deletes post on private job quotas in Karnataka amid backlash
The industry body, further in the post, said Karnataka is one of the foremost pillars of the tech industry in India. “And we at Nasscom are eager to continue our partnership to further strengthen its position. Together, we can ensure Karnataka remains a leader in technology and innovation.”
The IT minister was responding to a post by Biocon executive chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, who said there must be caveats to exempt highly skilled recruitment from the bill.
Kharge responded by listing several sectors in which Karnataka leads the table, which was achieved as a result of the government’s consistent engagement with stakeholders to draft policies and schemes that boost investments and create more employment opportunities.
“As always, we will consult with industries, industry bodies, and thought leaders to ensure we foster a favourable environment for investments and job creation for locals while addressing the needs of the global workforce,” Kharge wrote on X.
He added that Karnataka has always led the nation in economic growth and will continue to do so.
Also read: Karnataka’s domicile-based reservation is a bad idea that will fail in court
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