Visa Inc. has revised its internal code of conduct to clarify that employees are prohibited from using confidential company information to place bets or influence outcomes on online prediction markets. According to Bloomberg, the policy changes were approved by the company’s board of directors on 14 July. The updated guidelines reinforce existing insider trading and ethics standards by explicitly addressing the growing use of prediction market platforms. The move comes a week after Goldman Sachs introduced similar restrictions, barring employees from participating in prediction market contracts related to finance, politics and specific companies over concerns about the potential misuse of…
Author: HRK News Bureau
The Kerala State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (KSCDRC) has ruled that government employees covered under the Medisep health insurance scheme cannot be denied reimbursement for emergency accident treatment received at a non-empanelled hospital. The commission also held that such claims cannot be restricted to the tariff rates applicable to empanelled hospitals. The ruling came while dismissing an appeal filed by Oriental Insurance Company (OICL), which administers the Medisep scheme for Kerala government employees and pensioners. The case involved a government employee from Wayanad who sustained injuries in a road accident in March 2023. After receiving initial treatment at a district…
Indore Composite, a manufacturer of advanced composite materials and cable protection solutions, has appointed Kunal Asar as head–human resources. In his new role, he will lead the company’s people strategy, talent management, leadership development, organisational culture, and HR transformation initiatives as Indore Composite accelerates its next phase of growth. Asar brings over 17 years of experience across manufacturing, specialty chemicals, biotechnology, industrial products, and engineering. His expertise spans strategic HR, HR business partnering, industrial relations, organisational development, talent management, culture transformation, employee engagement, leadership development, workforce planning, and operational excellence. Prior to joining Indore Composite, Asar spent nearly four years…
Yogesh Misra has been appointed chief executive officer of Thomas Assessments and People Metrics, both operating under the CIEL HR Group. He will now be responsible for driving business growth, leadership solutions, and the group’s talent intelligence agenda across both companies. In this role, Yogesh Misra will focus on scaling AI-enabled workforce transformation, strengthening people analytics capabilities, and expanding leadership assessment services. The goal is to position both entities as strategic partners for data-driven people decisions at board and CXO levels. The new role follows his tenure as chief business officer at Thomas Assessments from November 2024 to June 2026.…
Shyam Steel Group has reportedly announced investment plans worth Rs 15,000 crore in West Bengal, expected to generate employment for around 20,000 people. According to The Times of India (TOI), these are the largest projects in terms of investment and job creation in the state in recent years. The Group, which already has an annual turnover of over Rs 10,000 crore and employs more than 25,000 people, is setting up an integrated steel plant in Mejia, Bankura. The plant will have a production capacity of two million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and cost about Rs 10,000 crore. Once operational, it…
The India UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which came into effect on 15 July, is not just about reducing tariffs. It also includes a major social security deal that directly benefits Indian professionals working in Britain. Under the Double Contribution Convention (DCC), Indian employees temporarily posted to the UK will no longer have to pay into Britain’s National Insurance system for five years. Instead, they will continue contributing to India’s Provident Fund. This means they avoid losing nearly a quarter of their salary to a system from which they would not have received benefits. The pact covers “detached workers” —…
Medi Assist has promoted Neha Kapoor to the role of assistant vice president – talent acquisition. She will now head the talent acquisition function, focusing on recruitment strategy, leadership hiring, and building teams to support the company’s next phase of growth. With a career spanning over 15 years in HR and talent acquisition, Kapoor has worked across healthcare, healthtech, and retail sectors. Her experience covers workforce planning, executive search, stakeholder management, and driving HR transformation. Immediately prior to this elevation, Neha Kapoor served as senior manager – talent acquisition at Medi Assist from April 2023 to December 2025. In that…
Ahead of World Youth Skills Day, Hindustan Zinc announced that its flagship skilling initiative, Zinc Kaushal, has trained more than 10,000 rural and tribal youth across Rajasthan and Uttarakhand since its launch in 2019, helping strengthen the talent pipeline for industries ranging from manufacturing to hospitality. Backed by an investment of Rs 26 crore, the programme has recorded an 83 per cent placement rate, with more than 8,000 participants securing employment. The company said trainees have witnessed an average 16 per cent increase in salary, while 45 per cent of the beneficiaries have been women. During FY26 alone, the initiative…
Marking World Youth Skills Day, BLS International said it is strengthening its workforce development strategy through expanded AI training, digital learning platforms and leadership- development programmes to build a future-ready workforce. The company said nearly 60 per cent of its workforce has participated in learning and development programmes since January 2026. These initiatives cover technical, functional, digital and leadership skills to prepare employees for evolving workplace requirements. BLS International is also rolling out a global Learning Management System (LMS) to provide a consistent learning experience across its international operations. Employees have access to more than 21,000 digital courses, enabling continuous…
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has said it is still reviewing its FY27 promotion schedule, even as it prepares to relaunch its internal Wings career- development programme with a stronger focus on artificial intelligence (AI) skills. According to a Moneycontrol report, the company informed employees during a recent town hall that discussions on promotions are ongoing but no timeline has been finalised. Management reportedly told employees that promotions remain under consideration and that an announcement would be made as soon as a decision is taken. The uncertainty comes as TCS revamps Wings, its internal learning and career-progression programme that supports employees…
Verizon is set to announce another round of staff reductions this week as it accelerates efforts to trim expenses and refocus spending. The US wireless leader will inform employees and make the cuts public on the morning of July 16, 2026. The company did not confirm how many roles will be affected. The move comes under CEO Daniel Schulman, who has prioritised cost discipline since taking over in October 2025. The latest cuts are part of a broader plan to reduce $5 billion in operating expenses by 2026. During an earnings call in January, Schulman said headcount reductions would deliver…
A former IndiGo ground staff employee has alleged that he resigned after being asked by a senior official to touch his supervisor’s feet as an apology for reporting to work without wearing a tie. In a video shared on Instagram, Mohammad Jamshid Y, who worked at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, claimed the incident occurred during a routine inspection at the airport’s Terminal 1. According to Jamshid, a senior official questioned him for not wearing a tie as part of his uniform. He said he acknowledged the mistake, apologised and assured the official that it would not happen again. Jamshid alleged…
US retailer Target Corporation has said that 40 per cent of its global technology workforce is based in Bengaluru, underscoring the Indian centre’s growing role in the company’s AI and digital transformation initiatives. Target in India employs around 5,700 people across technology, merchandising, store design, marketing and finance. The company continues to strengthen its talent pipeline through campus hiring and apprenticeship programmes, with around 35 per cent of apprentices converting to full-time employees. The retailer is also re-architecting its technology and data ecosystem to support an AI-first operating model. According to the company, the transition is focused on reskilling employees,…
The Coimbatore City Corporation has introduced a daily lunch scheme for its conservancy workers as part of efforts to strengthen worker welfare and civic hygiene. The programme was launched to ensure that sanitation staff, who work across the city’s wards from early morning, get access to hot and nutritious food during duty hours. Officials said many workers find it difficult to carry meals while moving between locations, and the new arrangement is expected to ease that burden. As per the plan, meals will be distributed at fixed points and through mobile units placed in different zones. The menu will cover…
HDFC Pension has appointed Hetal Javeri-Nandu as its chief human resources officer (CHRO), strengthening its leadership team as the organisation continues to expand its presence in India’s fast-growing pension fund management industry. In her new role, Javeri-Nandu will lead the company’s people strategy, overseeing talent management, organisational development, leadership capability, employee engagement, workforce planning, and HR transformation to support HDFC Pension’s long-term growth. She brings around 16 years of experience across the BFSI sector, with expertise in strategic HR, business partnering, talent management, performance management, compensation and benefits, employee engagement, rewards and recognition, and HR transformation. According to her LinkedIn…
DCM Shriram has appointed Aditi Gujral as vice president & group talent head, effective June 2026. Based in New Delhi, she will lead the group’s efforts to build future-ready leadership and strengthen organisational capabilities across businesses. The appointment aligns with DCM Shriram’s focus on talent as a growth enabler. In her new role, Gujral will drive strategy around leadership development, succession planning, learning, organisational design, and building capabilities that support the group’s long-term ambitions. Gujral brings nearly 20 years of experience in talent management, culture transformation, and organsational development. She joins DCM Shriram from Firstsource, where she served as global…
HCL Technologies (HCLTech) reduced its workforce by 3,292 employees during the first quarter of FY27, even as the company reported robust financial performance and stable employee attrition. According to the company’s quarterly disclosure, total headcount declined to 2,23,889 as of 30 June, 2026, from 2,27,181 at the end of the March quarter. Despite the overall reduction, HCLTech continued campus hiring, onboarding 1,056 freshers during the quarter, compared with 1,712 in the previous quarter. Employee retention remained largely stable. The company’s trailing 12-month attrition rate stood at 12.7 per cent, marginally higher than 12.5 per cent in the March quarter. The…
Apple has filed a lawsuit against a former employee, alleging that he exploited a security vulnerability to access and download confidential company files after leaving the company to join OpenAI. According to the complaint filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, the former employee, identified as Chang Liu, allegedly accessed Apple’s internal systems weeks after his employment ended by exploiting what the company described as a previously unknown authentication bug. Apple claims Liu downloaded confidential engineering files relating to unreleased products, technical specifications and internal project documentation while working at OpenAI. The company said it…
Honda Motor has introduced a financial- incentive programme that rewards employees for effectively using artificial intelligence (AI) in their daily work, as the automaker steps up efforts to build an AI-ready workforce. Under the initiative, employees who demonstrate advanced AI capabilities can receive a monthly bonus of up to ¥135,000 (approximately $920). The programme is designed to encourage greater adoption of AI tools across the organisation and strengthen employees’ digital capabilities. To qualify, employees must complete a three-tier AI certification programme comprising a written examination and an interview. Based on their performance, they are assigned one of three AI- competency…
Thousands of Rajasthan government employees may not receive their annual salary increment this month after failing to submit their mandatory Immovable Property Returns (IPR) within the stipulated deadline. According to officials, around 2.65 lakh state government employees did not file details of their immovable property despite being directed by the Department of Personnel (DoP) to do so by 31 January, 2026. The directive had been issued on 31 December, 2025. The annual increment, equivalent to three per cent of basic pay, is generally sanctioned during the first half of July. Increment orders are typically issued before salary bills are processed…
The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) is expanding its medical infrastructure with the launch of seven new healthcare projects across the country to improve access for insured workers and their families. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports will inaugurate the facilities from ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Sanathnagar, Telangana. The total investment across the seven projects is approximately Rs 668 crore. Mandaviya will physically open the new Outpatient Department block at the Sanathnagar hospital. The OPD block is designed to provide modern outpatient services to 12,30,183 insured persons and beneficiaries in Hyderabad, Medchal–Malkajgiri,…
Alkem Laboratories has appointed Shivaditya Banerjee as senior vice president–human resources, further strengthening its leadership team as the pharmaceutical major continues to enhance its people and organisational capabilities. Based at the company’s Mumbai headquarters, Banerjee will lead corporate HR, India sales & marketing HR, and international HR, driving talent strategy, organisational capability, leadership development, culture, and business partnering to support Alkem’s long-term growth. Banerjee brings nearly two decades of HR leadership experience across the pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare, chemicals, manufacturing, and FMCG sectors, with expertise spanning corporate HR, sales, manufacturing, R&D, industrial relations, and international HR. Prior to joining Alkem, he…
Neha Mathur, chief human resource officer at Urban Company, has stepped down after a tenure of five years and four months. She joined the tech-enabled home services marketplace in April 2021 as SVP – HR and later moved up to lead the people success function. Mathur’s exit comes as Urban Company continues to scale operations and empower millions of service professionals through at-home services. During her time, she was credited with building people-centric policies, driving diversity and inclusion, and creating systems to support a high-performing workforce. Mathur brings 18+ years of experience across global organisations. Before Urban Company, she was…
A workplace dispute shared on Reddit has sparked discussion around managerial conduct, workplace investigations and the importance of fair disciplinary processes. Posting anonymously on the r/IndianWorkplace forum, an employee claimed their manager threatened to “destroy” their career after discovering a spreadsheet created by a female coworker documenting concerns about colleagues’ behaviour. According to the post, the coworker had maintained an Excel sheet listing employees alongside personal observations and allegations. The entries reportedly included remarks such as “Looks at me badly”, “Talks behind my back” and “Makes inappropriate gestures.” The employee said they were questioned because they sat near the coworker…
Ahead of World Youth Skills Day, Tata Motors announced that its flagship Kaushalya Programme has enrolled more than 23,000 youth since its launch in 2021, with over 5,000 graduates securing employment through a 100 per cent placement rate, including more than 50 international placements. The company said the programme is aimed at bridging the gap between education and industry by equipping young people with skills in advanced manufacturing, automation and emerging mobility technologies. It is designed to strengthen the talent pipeline for India’s automotive and manufacturing sectors. According to Tata Motors, the initiative is also focused on improving workforce diversity.…
Fulcrum Digital is set to expand its global workforce with 800 new technology hires over the next nine months. The move comes after the company secured a large-scale contract with a marquee enterprise client and is seeing rising demand for AI-led digital transformation. The recruitment drive will cut across India, the EU, and the US. Openings include core engineering roles such as Java developers with Spring Boot and microservices experience, .NET Core engineers, and SQL specialists. The company is also hiring for data engineering, DevOps, test automation, and technical programme managers to lead complex, cross-functional programmes. A major focus of…