# Kannadiga Hiring Row: IT Firms Prioritize Skills

> IT leaders urge Karnataka to boost youth skills over penalizing firms for alleged Kannadiga bias.
- Title: Kannadiga Hiring Row: IT Firms Prioritize Skills | Shortify
- Summary: IT leaders urge Karnataka to boost youth skills over penalizing firms for alleged Kannadiga bias. Karnataka government faces pressure to improve local youth…
- Keywords: karnataka, it industry, youth employability, hiring bias, kannadiga, recruitment transparency, skills development, business, money, news, Hiring, Row
- Source: Financialexpress — https://financialexpress.com/business/industry-kannadiga-hiring-row-it-industry-favours-skills-over-action-4369966
- Author: FE Bureau
- Published: 2026-10-26T17:25:44+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: karnataka, it industry, youth employability, hiring bias, kannadiga, recruitment transparency, skills development, business, money, news
## Karnataka government urged
Industry leaders called for improved local youth employability and transparent hiring practices.
## Chief Minister warning
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar warned of action against firms discriminating against local candidates after viral video.
## Mohandas Pai's call
Former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai urged education reforms and faculty appointments for better youth skills.
## Faculty shortage issue
Over 60-70% of government college faculty work on guest basis, requiring permanent appointments.
## Recruitment transparency
Staffing firms warned against assuming discrimination from workforce representation differences.
## Ganesh Padmanabhan's view
Recruitment VP Ganesh Padmanabhan said hiring decisions follow role requirements, not bias.
## Skills over bias
Industry reps stressed skills development as key to global job market competitiveness.
## Key takeaway

Karnataka government faces pressure to improve local youth employability and recruitment transparency after IT firms accused of bias against Kannadigas.