Author: Liji Narayan | HRKatha

Kajaria Ceramics has appointed Ashish Goel as chief human resources officer (CHRO) starting 13 February 2026. He moves from Essel Group|Zee Media where he was serving in a similar capacity since October 2018. Ashish Goel, an alumnus of Department of Management Sciences (PUMBA), Savitribai Phule Pune University, began his career with MKM Group, as assistant manager. For almost six years, he stayed with MKM Group, working on organisation restructuring and business process re-engineering. From May of 2000 to July of 2003 Goel was human resources manager, Career Launcher. He helped build the organisation from a nascent stage- created all the…

KISNA Diamond and Gold Jewellery, the flagship brand of the Hari Krishna Group, has roped in Nitin Naik as chief technology officer (CTO). An alumnus of the University of Mumbai, Nitin Naik began his professional journey as a developer/ module leader with Wintech International, way back in 2000. Six months later, he switched to Aerospace Systems as developer and onsite coordinate for US asset management client. It was in August of 2003 that he began his long association with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). He joined as onsite coordinator and offshore project manager for a US asset management client. Over a…

Infosys has announced a higher performance bonus for employees, averaging 85 per cent for the quarter ending December (Q3 FY2025-26). This marks one of the best payouts in recent quarters and has lifted employee morale at a time when technology stocks were under pressure in the market. The company confirmed that the bonus will be included with the employees’ February salaries. The stronger payout reflects solid business results and recent deal wins, which helped boost confidence across the organization. Employees have reportedly received between 75 per cent and 100 per cent of their eligible bonus amounts. Some said this quarter’s…

It is clear that Saudi Arabia is taking a tough stance on labour compliance, creating new risks for expatriates and employers who must now be extra careful with documentation and workforce policies. How? The Kingdom has carried out a major crackdown on residency and labour violations, arresting more than 21,000 people in just one week. The raids took place at construction sites, housing areas, and transport hubs. Officials warned that not only undocumented workers but also citizens and companies who shelter them will face legal action. Does that mean Indian workers, who form the second-largest foreign community in Saudi Arabia,…

Wildlight Entertainment, the studio behind Highguard, has laid off several employees only two weeks after the game’s release. The multiplayer shooter had been given a prime showcase spot at The Game Awards last December, a slot usually reserved for the industry’s biggest upcoming titles. Despite being developed by veterans of major franchises such as Call of Duty, Apex Legends, and Titanfall, the game has struggled to hold on to players since its late January launch. At the time of launch, Highguard attracted nearly one lakh PC players and drew about 3.8 lakh viewers on Twitch. However, those numbers quickly fell,…

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the labour market, many companies are scaling back entry-level hiring, as they feel that automation will take over routine tasks. IBM, however, is charting a different course. It has announced plans to triple entry-level hiring in the US in 2026, signalling confidence in the long-term value of cultivating early-career talent. Nickle LaMoreaux, CHRO, IBM, has unveiled the initiative at Charter’s Leading with AI Summit. She has reportedly emphasised that while AI can perform many of the tasks traditionally assigned to junior employees, IBM is deliberately redesigning entry-level roles to focus on areas where…

After four successful years with Teleperformance, Subba Rao Bhairavabhatla has joined Vertex Group as co-founder and chief growth officer. Rao began his career as a process excellence lead at Asian Paints. He spent five years there, from 2001 to 2006, leading Six Sigma BB projects across the site and ensuring production delivery and process excellence. In February 2006 he moved to HSBC where he played PEX leader-quality for three years. Wipro BPO roped him in for the role of travel and BFSI leader-process excellence and transformations, in January of 2009. Rao’s next stop was Capita, where he served as global…

Choosing HR with intention For Pooja Madappa, HR was not just a career choice—it was a space she grew up understanding deeply. With her father as a senior HR professional, conversations about people, behaviour, and leadership were part of everyday life. She entered the field with intention: to shape organisations where people feel connected to purpose, empowered to perform, and supported to grow. Over the years, that intention has only strengthened. Today, as SVP – human resources at Netradyne, Madappa leads with a philosophy forged through global experience and a high-trust, high-accountability culture. Questioning the need for revalidation of expertise…

Company: CodeCraft Labs (fictitious), a 400-person tech startup building AI-powered developer tools, recently valued at Rs 600 crore. Background: CodeCraft Labs prides itself on being “radically different.” The founders believe traditional corporate structures breed mistrust, politics, and inequality. They’ve eliminated job titles, flattened hierarchies, and encouraged open dialogue. Now they want to take it further. The proposal The CEO and half the leadership team want to implement full salary transparency—publishing everyone’s compensation internally on the company intranet. Their argument: “If we’re paying people fairly, we should have nothing to hide. Transparency eliminates suspicion, reduces pay gaps, and holds us accountable.”…

Germany’s automotive sector is facing a serious crisis as companies reduce investments and jobs domestically while moving resources abroad. A survey by the VDA automotive association shows that 72 per cent of firms plan to cut back on investments in Germany. Of these, 28 per cent are shifting investments overseas, 25 per cent are postponing them, and 19 per cent are cancelling them altogether. The survey covered 124 companies, including suppliers and mid-sized manufacturers of trailers and buses. It revealed widespread workforce reductions: nearly two-thirds of firms cut jobs in Germany last year, with 87 per cent citing competitive disadvantages.…

An employee in the US lost a promised salary hike after discussing pay with a co-worker, sparking widespread debate about workplace transparency and retaliation. The worker had been verbally assured of a 21 per cent raise, which would have increased yearly pay from $ 60,000 to $ 73,000. However, the fact that he had casually shared this information with a colleague reportedly reached human resources. Soon after, the employee was informed that the raise would be reduced to $67,500, cutting $5,500 from the original offer. The incident quickly went viral online, with many criticising both the co-worker’s actions and the…

Telstra, the Australian telecom company, is cutting 209 jobs from its $700 million data and AI joint venture with Accenture, with part of the work being offshored to India. The joint venture, launched last year, is one of the biggest AI investments by an Australian firm and is 60 per cent owned by Accenture and 40 per cent by Telstra. The restructuring is aimed at using Accenture’s global expertise and its specialist hub in India to accelerate Telstra’s AI roadmap. By moving roles to India, the JV expects to achieve cost efficiencies and deliver improved customer experiences. The changes involve…

The government has proposed upgrading Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) under the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme. The plan will be carried out through industry-led Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs). To select industry partners, companies must submit a Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) in response to Requests for Proposals (RFPs). So far, 12 States and Union Territories have issued RFPs to invite industry participation. Funds for upgrading ITIs or setting up National Centres of Excellence (NCoEs) will only be released after SIP approval. As per information shared in the Lok Sabha by…

The market for artificial intelligence in HR is growing at nearly 25 per cent annually. Platforms such as Workday, SAP Joule and Microsoft Copilot promise to collapse silos across hiring, learning, performance and workforce planning. On the surface, momentum appears undeniable. Beneath it, something more troubling is emerging. According to AIHR’s HR Priorities 2026 report, 98 per cent of organisations say urgency around AI has increased. Fifty-nine per cent must demonstrate measurable impact within the next 12 months. Yet 91 per cent admit they are not fully prepared to build an AI-enabled culture. This is not a gap. It is…

Target has announced plans to cut about 500 jobs across its regional offices and distribution sites in the US. Executives explained that the move will allow the retailer to redirect resources toward its stores, boosting staffing and improving customer service. The decision was shared with employees in an internal email, which also outlined a reorganisation of store districts to add labour and hours where they are most needed. This is one of the first major steps taken by new CEO Michael Fiddelke, who took charge last year as the company struggled with more than four years of stagnant sales. The…

IDFC First Bharat, a wholly owned subsidiary of IDFC FIRST Bank, has elevated Chandra Mouli S to national manager-HRBP & talent management. Mouli was earlier lead-talent acquisition and talent management, HR technology and HRIS. A commerce graduate, Chandra Mouli went on to obtain a PGD in Human Resource Management from Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning. He also completed a PGD in Banking and Finance from the same institution. He served GE Money as business support executive for three years before joining AIG Consumer Finance in a similar capacity in 2008. His next stop was Equitas Small Finance Bank where he…

A nationwide strike has been called for February 12, 2026, by a joint platform of 10 central trade unions. They expect participation from not less than 30 crore workers across India. The strike is meant to oppose what unions describe as anti-worker, anti-farmer, and pro-corporate policies of the central government. Preparations have been made at district and block levels, and the strike is expected to affect around 600 districts, which is more than the 550 districts impacted during the last major protest in July 2025. The immediate demands include scrapping the four labour codes, withdrawal of the Draft Seed Bill,…

What are anti-perks? Anti-perks are benefits that sound appealing but turn out to be useless, inconvenient, or even harmful. They look impressive in job adverts but don’t actually improve daily work life—and sometimes make it worse. Examples include ping-pong tables nobody has time to use, “unlimited” holiday policies that make people feel guilty about taking time off, or free meals that encourage longer hours at the office. Whilst these are meant to signal a fun culture, employees often see them as distractions from what really matters—fair pay, career growth, and work-life balance. What use are free snacks if employees just…

Zensar Technologies has appointed Mithun Mukherjee as director-talent acquisition. Mukherjee has moved from Wipro where he served for over 16 years, having joined as senior executive in 2009. Just over a year and a half into this role, he was elevated to assistant manager-talent acquisition. Three and a half years later, in December of 2014, he was promoted to manager-talent acquisition. Another promotion four years later put him in the position of senior manager-talent acquisition-apps and data analytics. By June of 2024 he had climbed to the position of group head-data analytics and AI, digital experience. An alumnus of Bangalore…

India’s age-based retirement model was created for a very different reality—one of shorter lifespans, largely standardised roles and tenure-driven career progression. Today, as longevity increases and skill scarcity becomes a structural business risk, the conventional wisdom of forcing capable professionals to exit at 60 is being challenged. The question is no longer simply about fairness to ageing employees—it’s about whether organisations can afford to lose decades of institutional memory, judgment and specialised expertise in an era when replacing such knowledge has become extraordinarily difficult. Yet the counter-pressure is real: cost structures, upward mobility for younger talent, and the practical limits…

Falling for human depth Looking back at her first HR role, Babita Basak was most surprised by how deeply the job touched people’s sense of purpose and identity. She had entered the profession expecting structure—processes, policies, hiring, performance reviews, compensation frameworks. What she didn’t expect was the sheer human depth of the work. She noticed early on that work is more than a paycheck. For many, it’s where confidence is built, where belonging is felt, and where ambition is tested. A promotion wasn’t just a new title; it was validation. A difficult conversation wasn’t just feedback; it was a turning…

Company: Pinnacle Consulting (fictitious), a strategy and public policy advisory firm with 1,200 employees and clients across government, corporate, and social sectors. Background Pinnacle Consulting has built its reputation on being “apolitical, evidence-based, and trusted by all sides.” The firm advises state governments, multinational corporations, and NGOs—often on the same policy issues from different angles. Neutrality isn’t just a value. It’s a business necessity. Ministers and mining executives sit in Pinnacle’s waiting room on the same day. The firm’s currency is credibility—the belief that its analysis is untainted by ideology or allegiance. The situation Raghav Singhania, a senior manager in…

After four years of successfully serving Dr Reddy’s Laboratories as director-human resources, Ranjeeta Bhat has moved to Premier Energies. She will be playing vice president-corporate HR at the company that offers end-to-end solutions for solar- energy projects across 30 countries globally. Bhat is backed by over two decades of work experience, having started off as an HR associate with Scope International, Citibank, in June of 2003. She spent two years as team lead at Azure Technologies before joining 3i Infotech as manager-human resources business partner. Two years later, in 2007, she moved to Bank of America as manager, employee relations…

After serving Practus for over five years, Aditi Nair has moved to APAC Financial Services to take up the role of chief people officer (CPO). This alumna of Mumbai University from where she completed an MBA in Human Resources, served as HR relationship manager at Kotak Mahindra Bank in the initial years of her career. She was soon elevated to associated vice president-corporate HR, in May of 2007. From April 2016 to November 2020 Aditi Nair worked with Indostar Capital Finance as vice president-human capital management. Among other responsibilities, she led talent acquisition, onboarding, and post-merger integration. She designed compensation…

Somewhere between ambition and execution lies a chasm that is swallowing corporate HR’s AI investments whole. Nearly nine in ten organisations (88 per cent) expect to increase spending on artificial intelligence over the next 12 months, with more than half planning significant investment. Yet, when asked how far they have progressed, 51 per cent admit they remain stuck in the exploratory phase—assessing use cases, running pilots, building foundational understanding. Only 5 per cent report using AI for strategic advantage. A mere 3 per cent describe it as central to their competitive strategy. This is not cautious experimentation. It is expensive…

The Uttar Pradesh government has held back the salaries of 68,236 employees, causing widespread concern across departments. Why? The action was taken because these employees failed to submit their mandatory asset declaration forms. The state has a total of about 8.9 lakh government employees, all of whom were instructed to upload details of their movable and immovable assets on the Human Contract Portal by 31 January. Those who did not comply will have their salaries withheld until further notice. Most of the affected staff belong to Category III, comprising 34,926 individuals. Category IV has 22,624 employees impacted, Category II has…