A SpiceJet employee has been suspended after a video showing a confrontation with passengers at Bagdogra Airport gained widespread attention on social media. The incident occurred on 13 June after SpiceJet flight SG 151, scheduled to travel from Bagdogra to Delhi, faced significant disruption. The flight was initially delayed before being cancelled, leading to frustration among passengers waiting at the airport. Videos circulating online showed a heated exchange between an airline staff member and several passengers. The footage quickly attracted public attention, with many social- media users questioning the handling of the situation. In a statement, SpiceJet attributed the disruption…
Author: HRK News Bureau
Decathlon has announced a major expansion of its employee-ownership programme, enabling up to 34,000 additional employees to become shareholders in the company. The initiative, called Decathlon Seed, is expected to increase the number of employee-shareholders from 56,000 to as many as 90,000 globally. The announcement comes as the sports retailer marks its 50th anniversary and seeks to strengthen employee participation in the company’s long-term growth. Under the programme, eligible employees will receive an average allocation of €2,000 worth of company shares at no cost. The scheme is open to employees across retail, logistics, production and other functions, regardless of role…
A debate around employee stock ownership in India’s startup ecosystem has resurfaced after entrepreneur Chinmay Singh criticised the country’s ESOP taxation framework, arguing that it discourages startups from sharing wealth with employees. In a post on social media platform X, Singh, an Indian-origin entrepreneur based in San Francisco, said India’s current tax treatment of employee stock options makes it difficult for startups to offer meaningful ownership stakes to workers. According to him, the rules particularly disadvantage talented professionals working outside major technology hubs. Drawing from his experience of running a US-based startup, Singh said he built an engineering team comprising…
A multilingual AI-assisted platform developed by a startup incubated at the Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) of IIT Patna has created over 18,000 job opportunities for youth in the telecom sector across India. The platform, built in collaboration with SCOGO Networks, uses natural language processing (NLP) to enable seamless communication and workforce coordination across India’s diverse linguistic and operational environments. The technology allows, for instance, a Tamil-speaking technician from Chennai to work in Bengali or Kannada-speaking regions without facing language barriers. IIT Patna director T N Singh reportedly said that the TIH team has tackled hardware learning through easy-to-learn electronic kits,…
Bharti Airtel has elevated Rahul Vatts to director – corporate affairs and group chief regulatory officer (GCRO), expanding his current responsibilities. The company noted that the move was aimed at strengthening its corporate affairs and policy function as it grows beyond telecom. In the new role, Rahul Vatts will lead Airtel’s corporate affairs team. He will manage engagement with government, regulators and industry bodies, and shape the company’s public policy and regulatory approach. He will also act as Airtel’s primary point of contact for all government and regulatory matters. Airtel noted that the change reflects its focus on building stronger…
Zoom has appointed Arijit Dey as channel leader for India and SAARC. The move reflects Zoom’s focus on growing its partner network as more companies use AI to make work simpler and improve customer service. Dey has over 24 years of experience in enterprise sales, business development, and strategic partnerships across tech and telecom. At Zoom, he will shape the channel strategy for India and SAARC. His goals are stronger partner engagement, faster channel-led growth, and helping businesses use Zoom’s AI-powered tools to turn conversations into real results. Jacob Pereira,head,APAC partners, Zoom, believes Dey ” knows how to build strong…
Employee sentiment at Meta appears to be under strain following recent workforce reductions and the company’s intensified focus on artificial intelligence (AI). Internal discussions reportedly reveal growing frustration among employees who are managing increased workloads after a major round of job cuts. Last month, the social-media giant reduced its workforce by around 8,000 employees, representing nearly 10 per cent of its staff. The move was part of Meta’s broader effort to channel resources toward AI development and strengthen its position in the rapidly-evolving technology landscape. However, employees who remain with the company are reportedly facing mounting pressure. Along with their…
eBay’s workforce strategy has come under renewed scrutiny after data revealed that the company is pursuing hundreds of H-1B visa hires while simultaneously reducing its US workforce. According to workforce tracking platform Cutoffs.io, eBay plans to lay off 639 employees in the US during 2026. At the same time, the company has filed applications for 429 H-1B positions during the first half of fiscal 2026. The figures have reignited debate around the use of foreign skilled-worker visas at a time when many technology firms continue to trim headcount. Data cited by The American Bazaar shows that eBay submitted 360 H-1B…
Bigbasket, a Tata Group company and one of India’s popular quick-commerce platforms, has named Amit Nanda as its new chief executive officer. Hari Menon and Vipul Parekh, co-founders, bigbasket, will remain on the Board and continue to mentor the leadership team. Nanda joins with 20+ years of experience across e-commerce, FMCG, and consumer banking. He was most recently director, selling partner services at Amazon India, where he managed the company’s third-party marketplace-one of its largest businesses. In his 11 years at Amazon, he has also built and scaled its private label portfolio and led teams across product, tech, and marketplace.…
The Jharkhand government has approved a proposal to provide state employees with easier access to salary advances and a range of financial services through a dedicated digital platform managed by a non-banking financial company (NBFC). The decision was cleared by the state cabinet and is aimed at improving employees’ financial well-being by offering structured and accessible financing options. Under the plan, the government will empanel an NBFC through a tender process to develop and operate the platform. The digital platform will offer services such as salary advances, savings products, insurance plans, credit facilities and other financial solutions designed for government…
Trading platform, Robinhood has announced plans to reduce its workforce by about 10 per cent, affecting around 290 employees, as part of efforts to simplify its organisational structure and improve operational efficiency. The decision was communicated by CEO Vladimir Tenev, who stressed that the layoffs were not linked to business performance. Instead, the company is seeking to flatten management layers and create a more agile organisation capable of supporting its long-term growth ambitions. The workforce reduction comes at a time when Robinhood is reporting strong business momentum. According to a recent filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),…
Micro Mitti has appointed Tripti Singh as head-human resources, strengthening its people leadership as the proptech firm continues to expand its fractional real- estate investment platform. In her new role, Singh will lead the company’s HR strategy, overseeing talent management, workforce planning, employee engagement, organisational development and people-centric initiatives aimed at supporting business growth. She brings more than a decade of experience across talent acquisition, HR business partnering, employee relations, employer branding and people operations. Prior to joining Micro Mitti, Singh served as senior human resources manager, Basiz Fund Services, where she was involved in strengthening HR operations and talent-…
DriveX Mobility has appointed Jyotsna Chaudhary as head-human resources, strengthening its leadership team as the technology-enabled pre-owned two-wheeler platform enters its next phase of growth. In her new role, Chaudhary will lead the company’s people and organisation agenda, focusing on talent acquisition, leadership development, organisational design, workforce planning and building a high-performance culture to support business expansion. She joins DriveX from TVS Motor Company, where she spent nine years across a series of HR leadership roles, most recently serving as head HR business partner. During her tenure, she led HR strategy for key business functions, including R&D centres of excellence…
The Union Cabinet has approved a two per cent increase in dearness allowance (DA) for Central government employees and dearness relief (DR) for pensioners, effective retrospectively from January 1. With the revision, the DA and DR rates will increase from 58 per cent to 60 per cent of basic pay and pension, respectively. The move is expected to benefit more than 50 lakh Central government employees and over 68 lakh pensioners. According to the government, the annual financial impact of the increase will be approximately Rs 6,791 crore. Dearness allowance and dearness relief are revised periodically to help employees and…
The Bengal government has issued an order making it compulsory for all state -government employees to take part in Yoga Day celebrations on Sunday, 21 June, 2026, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. Participation can be at Red Road, Milan Mela, government offices, or even from home, but attendance is mandatory. The rule applies to permanent staff, contractual workers, part time and daily wage employees, outsourced personnel, and those on honorarium. Department heads have been told to ensure full compliance. The directive has unsettled many employees, who are used to weekends off. Some said reaching offices so early would be…
BlackRock, the global asset manager, is cutting about 200 jobs, equal to just under 1 per cent of its workforce. The move is part of a steady pattern of staff reviews that CEO Larry Fink has turned into a quieter, ongoing cycle of “rightsizing.” This latest round affects roles across investment, operations, technology, and private credit. It also includes positions linked to BlackRock’s $12 billion acquisition of HPS Investment Partners, its biggest private credit deal last year. The company explained that these actions reflect the normal discipline of a constantly evolving organisation. BlackRock regularly reviews staffing to align with client…
The Government of Karnataka has made it mandatory for all state-government employees to mark their attendance through the Karnataka Attendance Management System (KAMS) by 10 am each working day. The move aims to improve punctuality and accountability across departments. The attendance system has been integrated with geo-location technology to ensure that employees physically report to their designated workplaces before registering their presence. The geo-coordinate feature will prevent staff from logging attendance remotely and strengthen monitoring of office attendance. A circular issued by the Planning Manager of the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) under the Finance Department has instructed heads of…
The queue at the top There is an assumption embedded in most HR careers: experience accumulates, titles grow longer, and rewards follow naturally. The latest labour-market data suggests otherwise. AIHR’s HR Career Outlook 2026, based on analysis by Revelio Labs of 3.88 million HR professionals, 162,000 active job postings and 54 HR roles across the United States, finds that the most coveted senior HR positions are also the most crowded. The scarcest talent sits elsewhere. The report’s supply-demand ratio provides the clearest illustration. A VP HR role attracts 757 available candidates for every opening. Senior HR Business Partner roles attract…
NielsenIQ has named Poornima Subramanian as its India GCC HR leader, a move that strengthens the consumer intelligence company’s people focus for its Global Capability Centre operations in India. Her promotion marks a key milestone as she enters her 20th year in human resources. In her new role, Subramanian will oversee all aspects of people and talent for NIQ’s India GCC. She plans to scale the workforce, enhance employee experience, deepen talent development, and lead HR transformation initiatives that support both business growth and team success. Subramanian brings nearly two decades of HR experience across India and global markets. She…
As Noida International Airport(NIAL) gets ready to open in Jewar, around 334 families who gave up land during the first two phases of acquisition said that they were still waiting for the jobs that had been promised to them. Officials had reportedly assured them employment with the concessionaire, Yamuna International Airport Private(YIAPL), if they chose jobs over cash compensation. Residents stated that they had been waiting since 2019 and were now being told that jobs would come through private vendors. They expressed concern that vendor roles offered lower pay, less stability, and no benefits such as provident fund, ESI, or…
As companies continue to rethink employee benefits in the post-pandemic era, one artificial intelligence startup has drawn attention for its unusual approach to workplace wellness: investing in better sleep for its workforce. Factory, an AI startup founded in 2023, provided premium sleep systems to its employees during its early growth phase. Matan Grinberg, CEO, Factory, reportedly revealed recently that the company purchased Eight Sleep mattress covers for every staff member when the team was significantly smaller. The products, which retail for around $3,000 each, are designed to regulate sleeping temperatures and enhance sleep quality. Factory has expanded rapidly since its…
US health insurer Centene has launched a voluntary separation programme for a section of its workforce as the company navigates mounting financial pressures stemming from rising healthcare costs, declining membership and anticipated reductions in government healthcare funding. The company confirmed that eligible employees were offered buyout packages as part of a broader effort to reposition the organisation for future challenges in the healthcare sector. However, Centene has not disclosed the number of employees covered under the programme or the extent of the workforce reduction it hopes to achieve through voluntary exits. Reportedly, in a statement, the company said it is…
Prabhu Sundaresan has been promoted to director – human resources, Apex Group, recognising his contributions to people transformation, organisational effectiveness and HR leadership across the global financial services organisation. In his new role, Sundaresan will continue to drive strategic people initiatives with a focus on organisational effectiveness, talent management, digital HR transformation and leadership partnership across the company’s India operations. Prior to this elevation, he served as regional head-HR, India, Apex Group, where he partnered with India and global leadership teams to align people strategy with business priorities across nine locations. He led initiatives spanning organisational design, M&A HR integration,…
Technology company N-able is strengthening its presence in India by establishing operations in Bengaluru, underscoring the country’s growing importance as a hub for global capability centres (GCCs) and specialised technology talent. The expansion comes at a time when India’s GCC ecosystem is witnessing rapid growth. Reportedly, the country’s GCC workforce is expected to reach 2.36 million employees by the end of 2026, with demand increasingly concentrated in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. N-able said its decision to build a team in Bengaluru was driven primarily by access to highly skilled professionals rather than cost considerations. The…
State Bank of India is planning a sweeping revamp of its human resources strategy to address rising workplace stress and changing employee expectations across its 2,45,000-strong workforce. Amongst the country’s largest lenders, SBI has floated a call for bids to redesign its employee- wellness programme. It wants a service provider to build a confidential support system where individual-level data is not shared with management or HR, except where required by law. A key part of the plan is a crisis and emergency response framework that gives immediate help to employees facing acute psychological distress, suicidal thoughts, or major life events.…
New York lawmakers have reportedly passed a bill aimed at stopping companies from posting fake job listings that they never plan to fill. The measure, reportedly under review by Governor Kathy Hochul, is meant to cut down on ‘ghost jobs’ postings that frustrate job seekers who apply but get no response because the role isn’t actually open. Under bill S8877, employers with 100 or more workers, and third-party job sites, would have to be clear about hiring plans. If a company expects to fill a role within 90 days, it must state the expected timeframe in bold, capital letters. If…