Zepto’s leadership has sought to reassure employees after the company postponed its much-anticipated initial public offering (IPO), urging teams to stay focused on long-term growth despite the setback. Reportedly, during the company’s first organisation-wide town hall after reports emerged that the IPO had been put on hold, founder Aadit Palicha told employees that the listing had been deferred by a few quarters. He also informed staff that existing investors had agreed to inject additional capital into the company, ensuring it remains well-funded while preparing for a future public listing. The development comes days after reports indicated that Zepto is raising…
Author: HRK News Bureau
A change in workplace policy has prompted an employee to reconsider their future with the organisation after a fully remote role was converted into a hybrid one. The employee, who joined the company expecting to work from home permanently, now has to travel nearly 115 km a day for two consecutive days every week to attend the office. The marketing professional, with around five years of experience and over a year at the current organisation, shared the situation on an online discussion forum while preparing for an interview with another company offering a remote role. Apart from the increased travel,…
The recent layoffs at Visa have sparked fresh debate over the taxation of severance pay in India, with many professionals questioning whether compensation meant to support employees after job loss should be taxed like regular income. The discussion gained momentum after Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Sanket Sheth, raised the issue in a LinkedIn post following reports of Visa’s workforce reduction. While acknowledging that companies may need to restructure their workforce in response to changing business conditions, he argued that taxing severance payments adds to the financial strain employees already face after losing their jobs. According to Sheth, salaried employees contribute income tax…
More than 72 lakh first-time workers have joined India’s formal workforce during the first year of the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PM-VBRY), according to government data, highlighting the scheme’s role in expanding formal employment and social- security coverage. Launched on 1 August, 2025, the employment-linked incentive scheme is aimed at encouraging formal hiring by linking new jobs with Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) registration. The initiative seeks to bring first-time workers into the organised sector while extending access to benefits such as provident fund and other social-security provisions. Government figures show that women account for nearly 30 per…
US Bank has appointed Cynthia O’Connor as chief human resources officer (CHRO) for its India operations. In her new role, she will lead the organisation’s people strategy, talent agenda and HR-transformation initiatives, supporting business growth and workforce development across its India business. Before joining US Bank, O’Connor served as director HR–HR business partner (technology) at NatWest Group, where she partnered with the technology function on strategic people initiatives. Prior to that, she spent more than seven years at Standard Chartered Bank as vice president and head HR–technology, leading the people agenda for a global technology workforce of around 13,000 employees…
Bharti AXA Life Insurance has elevated Vishal Sinha as head–corporate HR, learning & development (L&D) and organisational development (OD), expanding his leadership mandate across the company’s people, learning and organisational development functions. In his new role, Sinha will be responsible for driving the company’s corporate HR, leadership development, learning strategy and organisational development agenda, with a focus on strengthening leadership capability, talent development and organisational effectiveness. Sinha has been associated with Bharti AXA Life Insurance for over five years. Prior to this elevation, he served as head–corporate HR & talent acquisition, where he led the corporate HR function and talent…
Manish Dwivede has been appointed as group chief human resources officer at Allana Group, a private food and agro-commodity corporation, marking his entry into the diversified conglomerate in July 2026. With over 27 years of experience across HR leadership, organisational transformation and talent strategy, he will now oversee the Group’s entire human resources function. In his new mandate, Dwivede will focus on strengthening leadership capabilities, driving people and culture initiatives, and advancing talent development to support Allana Group’s long-term growth and organisational excellence. Prior to this, Dwivede served as chief human resources officer at Emami Agrotech from July 2022 to…
British Petroleum (BP), a multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London is planning to cut about 700 positions that are not frontline roles as part of a wider restructuring aimed at making operations leaner and improving financial performance. According to an internal company email, the proposed reductions will impact employees in corporate and support functions. Operational staff including operators, technicians and maintenance personnel are expected to remain unaffected, with no material changes anticipated for those teams. The cuts represent roughly eight per cent of BP’s 8,500 non-frontline jobs tied to its production and operations business. The communication to staff…
SELLABILITY, an Indian real estate sales and marketing mandate consultancy has named Sneha Sahasrabudhe as its new chief human resources officer. She will lead the company’s overall people strategy and organisational development agenda. Her career spans product training to people strategy, with stints across fintech, healthcare and global enterprises. Sneha Sahasrabudhe’s professional journey began in April 2009 as a product trainer at AkzoNobel, a role she held for a year. The position grounded her in communication, facilitation and frontline employee engagement. She then joined Chrysalis Business Consultancy as a training review executive from February 2014 to June 2016. In these…
Millions of delivery agents, cab drivers and other platform workers could soon have access to health insurance, pension and maternity benefits as the government moves to implement social security provisions in the new labour codes. Officials reported in response to a query during the supplementary Question Hour session in the Rajya Sabha that a welfare fund will be created specifically for gig and platform workers. Platforms and aggregators will be mandated to make contributions into the fund, along with support from the Centre. The design is aimed at ensuring benefits are portable, so workers can claim them even if they…
Chennai’s hiring market is set for a lift as two global majors expand their presence in Tamil Nadu. Insurance leader Chubb and wind energy firm Nordex Group are scaling up their Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and R&D operations in the city, opening up hundreds of jobs across engineering, technology, data and manufacturing support functions. Nordex is actively recruiting in Chennai for specialised roles. Current openings include specialist–blade reliability engineering for candidates with 6-15 years in wind or composites, HSE engineer positions requiring 2+ years experience, and graduate engineer trainee roles in blade production for freshers. The company, which employs over…
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) could reshape India’s labour market over the next decade, with 8-12 per cent of non-agricultural jobs at risk of being replaced, while nearly half the workforce is expected to benefit from AI-enhanced productivity, according to a new report by Goldman Sachs. The report estimates that AI could perform between 9 per cent and 17 per cent of tasks currently carried out by India’s non-agricultural workforce, depending on how advanced the technology becomes. Under its baseline scenario, around 13-15 per cent of existing work tasks are exposed to automation. Rather than causing widespread job losses, the report…
Consolidated, one of India’s authorised partners for Apple, has appointed Rohith Kumar as its new chief human resources officer. The announcement was made by Kumar on LinkedIn this week. Based out of Coimbatore, Kumar will lead the people’s agenda across Consolidated’s iPlanet retail stores, service centres, and its enterprise and education business verticals. The company is currently on an aggressive expansion path, with a stated goal to grow 5x in the coming years while retaining its position as a leading Apple partner in India with a significant share of Apple’s business. In his post, Kumar said, “Employee focus will be…
Grace McClelland, a 34-year old from Australia, once earned about Rs 66 lakh annually in a senior retail- management role. Despite the high salary and perks, she struggled with stress, anxiety and burnout. Long commutes, heavy schedules, and constant pressure drained her energy and affected her health. Eventually, she resigned without another job lined up. She briefly tried an office role and later accepted a position with a luxury retail company that offered bonuses, overseas travel and a strong package. Even though she performed well and earned more than before, she realised she no longer enjoyed the work. The role…
Wipro has granted a total of 10,21,882 stock awards to selected employees under its 2024 Employee Stock Options, Performance Stock Unit, and Restricted Stock Unit scheme. The grant became effective on 29 July 2026 and includes 9,11,458 American Depositary Share Restricted Stock Units (ADS RSUs) and 1,10,424 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). This allocation is part of Wipro’s long-term compensation framework, which ties employee rewards to company performance and shareholder value. The awards will vest according to the schedule approved by the company’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Employees will gain ownership of the shares only after meeting vesting conditions, and they…
US-based semiconductor company Marvell Technology will invest $250 million in India over the next three years to expand its research and development capabilities, engineering operations and workforce. The investment marks the company’s 20th year of operations in India. As part of the expansion, Marvell plans to double its employee base in the country during the three-year period. The company is also strengthening its infrastructure by opening a new wing at its Bengaluru office and expanding its presence in Hyderabad. The additional facilities will support the design and development of advanced semiconductor technologies for artificial intelligence, cloud computing and data infrastructure.…
Ayurvedic wellness brand Kapiva has appointed Arsh Rachit as its new chief human resources officer. In this role, he will spearhead the company’s people strategy, talent development, organisational culture, and leadership initiatives as Kapiva enters its next phase of expansion. Prior to this, he worked at PhonePe from November 2022 to July 2026 where he served as head – HR CoE & International, overseeing compensation & benefits, employer branding, HR product, HR operations, HR systems and talent management. Prior to that, from March 2019 to October 2022, he was head – HRBP, partnering with the online, offline and ads businesses…
India has taken a major step to strengthen its telecom-manufacturing ecosystem with the launch of its first dedicated Telecom Manufacturing Zone, even as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme drives large-scale job creation in the sector. According to recent government data, the PLI scheme for telecom and networking products has created 36,000 jobs so far. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to boost domestic manufacturing, reduce reliance on imports, and position India as a competitive player in the global telecom supply chain. The new manufacturing zone is designed to serve as an integrated hub for telecom equipment makers,…
KPMG Australia has said no decision has been made on possible workforce reductions after reports claimed the firm was considering cutting around 1,000 jobs, or nearly 10 per cent of its workforce, following an audit misconduct scandal. According to the Australian Financial Review, details of the proposed restructuring were shared with selected partners earlier this week. The report also claimed that the firm’s leadership had urged partners to support the new management team or consider leaving the organisation. Responding to the report, KPMG said it is reviewing its operating model, cost structure and workforce requirements but stressed that no decisions…
Nestlé India has launched Kaabil, a culinary internship programme aimed at enhancing employability and creating livelihood opportunities for members of the transgender community. Led by Nestlé Professional and supported by the company’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group, BEACON, the initiative seeks to equip participants with industry-relevant skills for careers in the food and hospitality sector. The 15-day programme will offer training in kitchen fundamentals, regional and international cuisines, recipe development, live cooking, professional readiness and career guidance. It is being delivered in partnership with the Sahodari Foundation and TWEET Foundation across regional training kitchens in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Participants will…
State-owned NHPC has appointed Paresh Rasiklal Ranpara as its director (personnel), reinforcing its leadership team with a seasoned HR professional from the power sector. In the new role, Ranpara will oversee NHPC’s human resource strategy, organisational development, leadership pipeline and employee welfare initiatives, supporting the company’s expanding presence across hydroelectric and renewable energy projects The appointment has been approved by the Ministry of Power and will be effective from the date Ranpara assumes charge. He will serve a five-year term or until his superannuation on 31 August, 2031, whichever is earlier, unless otherwise directed. Ranpara joins NHPC from Grid Controller…
German luxury automaker BMW will reduce its global workforce by around 8,000 employees by the end of 2027, according to company sources. The job cuts will be carried out through a voluntary redundancy programme targeting administration and development divisions in Germany. Production workers will not be impacted, the company confirmed. Roughly 40,000 of BMW’s 85,000 permanent employees in Germany will be eligible to apply from October. The Munich-based group currently employs about 1,54,000 people worldwide. Milan Nedeljkovic, CEO, told staff at a recent works meeting that the auto industry’s “rules of the game” have changed substantially. He cited weak demand…
Saatvik Solar has appointed Arindam Chakraborty as its chief human resources officer (CHRO), bringing on board a seasoned HR leader with over 25 years of experience across the manufacturing, automotive, renewable energy and consumer goods sectors. Announcing his appointment on LinkedIn, Chakraborty expressed how delighted he was “to begin a new chapter” and to be be part of “an organisation that is shaping India’s clean energy future”. He sees this as “both an honour and an exciting opportunity” looks forward “to working alongside talented colleagues to build a people-first culture, nurture future-ready talent, and create an environment where individuals and…
Standard Chartered has appointed Kavita Kulkarni as its new chief technology & operations officer for India and South Asia, effective immediately. Based in Mumbai, Kavita will join the India Country Management Team. In her new role, she will oversee the rollout of the bank’s technology & operations strategy and help drive key business priorities across India and South Asia. Kavita has held senior leadership positions at global financial firms in India, the UK and the US. Before Standard Chartered, she was the managing director and chief information officer for private banking and wealth management at Barclays Bank. There, she managed…
India’s gig economy is expected to witness rapid expansion over the next five years, with the number of monthly active gig workers projected to grow from around 60 lakh today to between 1.7 crore and 2.1 crore by 2030, according to a new report. The report estimates that the country’s gig internet workforce will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24-29 per cent. It also projects that gig work across delivery, ride-hailing and home services could account for nearly 70 per cent of India’s annual non-farm job creation requirement of around 80 lakh jobs by the end…
An employee terminated for alleged poor performance has won Rs 19 lakh after a court found her dismissal lacked any factual basis. According to the ruling, the company had issued a termination letter citing performance issues. But when asked to substantiate the claim, it failed to produce appraisal records, warnings, or any inquiry report that could support the decision. The bench noted that making serious allegations without documentation not only makes the termination legally unsustainable but also harms the employee’s professional standing. The judges said that vague accusations in an exit letter can directly impact future employability and dignity. Emphasising…