Pro-Kannada group visits Bengaluru IT companies amid renewed focus on alleged hiring discrimination against local youths
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), a pro-Kannada group, has started visiting IT companies and private establishments in Bengaluru as part of its ‘Agraha Abhiyana’, a campaign to ascertain the extent of employment opportunities being provided to Kannadigas there. KRV convener TA Narayana Gowda said the campaign covers IT and BT companies and seeks to find out whether Kannadigas are being discriminated against during recruitment.
According to Gowda, KRV leaders divided into several teams, visited private establishments in different parts of Bengaluru and submitted a memorandum seeking information.
What Karnataka Rakshana Vedike said
“The organisations have responded positively, with assurances that they would provide the required information and ensure employment opportunities for Kannadigas,” he said in a social media post.
Asserting that this is a campaign and not a protest, Gowda said that it is neither an activity intended to create confusion nor an exercise in moral policing.
“Our leaders are interacting respectfully with the heads and representatives of all private establishments. Our demand is that companies operating in Karnataka should provide the lion’s share of employment opportunities to Kannadigas. We are only reminding these organisations of their moral and social responsibility,” he said.
Locals feel sidelined in Bengaluru’s IT boom
Karnataka’s capital, Bengaluru, also known as India’s Silicon Valley, is home to some of the biggest home-grown and global tech companies. According to the e Bengaluru Innovation Report (2025–2026), around 2.5 lakh people are employed in Bengaluru in the tech sector.
While the state’s economy has benefited from the IT boom, pro-Kannada groups have long complained that locals have been left behind as the high-paying jobs have been taken away by those migrating to Bengaluru for work.
Karnataka CM warns against discrimination
The alleged discrimination against Kannadigas by tech companies in Bengaluru gained renewed attention recently after Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar warned of action against private institutions if they are found deliberately sidelining locals during hiring.
“In Karnataka, the Kannadiga is sovereign. The government will not allow the rights, dignity, and opportunities of Kannadigas to be disregarded for any reason,” the Karnataka CM had said.
However, on Sunday, amid reports of pro-Kannada groups holding protests in front of private companies, the chief minister had urged them to not take the law into their hands.
“Kannada organisations should not go and attack IT companies. It is not right to take the law into their own hands. Moral policing will not be allowed. The government and the police department are there to address such issues. If there are any complaints or problems, bring them to the notice of the government. The police will take action as per the law,” he said.
Job reservation for locals in private sector
Under pressure from pro-Kannada groups, in 2024, the Karnataka government had proposed a 50 per cent job reservation for locals in the private sector. However, this has been put on hold due to opposition from industry groups, including NASSCOM.
