No jobs for native speakers? CM from a South Indian state warns IT firms over hiring bias claims

A video uploaded by a young woman has triggered intense public scrutiny across Bengaluru after alleging widespread discrimination against Kannada-speaking job seekers in the information technology sector. In the recording, which quickly circulated across social media platforms, she claimed that technology enterprises routinely bypass local talent, favouring candidates who speak Telugu or Tamil instead. She further alleged that companies reject job seekers whose resumes explicitly mention Kannada.

The speaker raised concerns over entry-level opportunities, asserting that major tech firms are skipping campus recruitment drives at local colleges across Bengaluru. According to her, enterprises prefer bringing in candidates from other states on lower salaries rather than providing openings to local graduates. Directly pleading for intervention, she said: “Campus interviews are not being conducted in Bengaluru colleges. They do not hire if Kannada is mentioned in the resume. They bring people from elsewhere for lower salaries. Because of this, we are not getting opportunities. Please provide a solution to this problem”. While her emotional appeal struck a chord with many struggling job hunters, these allegations remain unverified, and official details have not yet confirmed whether such biased practices occur systematically.

The online debate divides workers and recruiters

The viral video ignited a heated debate across social platforms, dividing opinions on recruitment standards, qualifications, and workplace fairness. Several residents shared similar frustrations, pointing out that even engineering graduates trained in cutting-edge branches such as artificial intelligence and machine learning have spent months without receiving interview calls or campus placement opportunities. Supporters of the local workforce argued that discarding profiles simply for stating Kannada as a mother tongue, or ignoring Bengaluru institutions in search of cheaper labour, deprives local youths of fair access in their own state capital.

Conversely, many working professionals and recruiters pushed back, insisting that IT appointments in Bengaluru rest strictly on technical capability, problem-solving, and soft skills rather than linguistic identity. Others noted that technology firms and business process outsourcing centres frequently serve client operations based in neighbouring states. In such environments, requiring fluency in Telugu or Tamil functions as an operational requirement to audit work or coordinate with regional teams, rather than an attempt to exclude local candidates. Commentators also pointed out that any local Kannadiga who happens to be proficient in those regional tongues remains equally eligible for such positions.

Tech firms clarify operational requirements

As online scrutiny intensified around specific job advertisements, local employers stepped forward to provide context regarding their hiring practices. Bengaluru-based firm eSthenos Technologies issued a formal clarification addressing social media discussions about a six-month-old recruitment listing for a Quality Analyst role.

The company clarified that the post was created specifically to coordinate with branch offices, teams, and stakeholders located across Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Consequently, requiring familiarity with Tamil or Telugu was essential to day-to-day coordination with those regional units and was not intended to disadvantage applicants from Karnataka. Reassuring the public, the enterprise highlighted that people from Karnataka actually make up the majority of its Bengaluru workforce, maintaining that it respects local culture while striving to build a collaborative, merit-based workplace.

Government warns companies against sidelining locals

Addressing the escalating row, Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar responded publicly on Sunday to assure native job seekers. Writing on the social media platform X, he stated that the administration is treating reports of unfair treatment in the private sector with serious concern.

Shivakumar noted: “It is disheartening to hear complaints that Kannadigas are being denied job opportunities in Bengaluru's IT companies. The government has taken seriously the issue of native Kannada speakers being sidelined”. Stressing the state’s obligation to protect local livelihoods, he asserted: “In Karnataka, the Kannadiga is sovereign. The government will not allow the rights, dignity, and opportunities of Kannadigas to be disregarded for any reason”.

Acknowledging Bengaluru’s global reputation as India's technology capital and praising the skills of native professionals, the Chief Minister cautioned private firms against discriminatory practices. He warned: “If it is found that any private institution has deliberately sidelined Kannadigas, the government will take appropriate action”.