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Hiring activity witnessed a sharp boost in the majority of the sectors in June, with recruitment by the IT sector turning positive after a muted spell, according to the Naukri JobSpeak Index. 


Hiring in the advertising/PR/Events increased by 22% in the same period, while the Media & Entertainment sector clocked 16% recruitment in the same month.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/it-hiring-soars-by-53-in-tier-2-cities-in-june-2025-demand-surges-for-ai-ml-specialists-72713.html">IT hiring soars by 53% in Tier-2 cities in June 2025; Demand surges for AI-ML specialists</a>

Fresher hiring saw a double-digit jump as the white-collar job market grew 11% in June. Among the major sectors, hiring activity increased in the insurance sector by 32% in June 2025, followed by Hospitality by 21%, and BPOs by 19%, respectively.


The monthly job index underscored a robust hiring trend by Indian unicorns with a 30% rise. On the other hand, recruitment in the insurance sector surged by 32%, driven by an increase in fresher hiring at 59%.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/govt-approves-employment-linked-incentive-scheme-disburses-rs-99446-crore-for-job-creation-72642.html">Govt approves Employment Linked Incentive scheme, disburses Rs 99,446 crore for job creation</a>

Pune, Bengaluru, and Chennai remained the key hubs for startups hiring activity at 22%, 32% and 21%, respectively. 


Among the major Indian cities, Coimbatore has emerged as the fresher hiring hub in June, registering a 24% surge in fresher recruitment. 

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/quick-comm-sees-sharp-employment-growth-in-2024-karnataka-maharashtra-emerge-as-top-hub-59059.html">Quick-comm industry sees sharp employment growth in 2024; Karnataka emerge as top-hub</a>

"What stood out in June was the sharp pickup in hiring across core service sectors like Hospitality and BPO/ITES. It was also encouraging to see IT hiring turn positive after a muted spell, especially with strong demand emerging from tier-II cities. Fresher hiring in non-tech sectors continues to gain traction, reflecting expanding opportunities for young professionals," Dr. Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer, Naukri said.

Hiring activity jumps 11% in June, freshers see double-digit growth: Naukri JobSpeak

Hiring in the tech sector has accelerated in India's Tier-2 cities, buoyed by expanding industries and investments in June 2025. According to a report by talent platform foundit, the hiring activity in the Tier-2 cities has also outpaced the national average significantly. 

Overall hiring in the country grew by 20% in June 2025, but in Tier-2 cities, the recruitment increased by 28% year-on-year, the job platform mentioned.

The IT industry hiring jumped by 53% YoY, far ahead of the national average of 30%, followed by Logistics & Transportation (42%) and Energy (38%) sectors.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/govt-approves-employment-linked-incentive-scheme-disburses-rs-99446-crore-for-job-creation-72642.html">Govt approves Employment Linked Incentive scheme, disburses Rs 99,446 crore for job creation</a>

On Month-on-Month basis, IT roles surged by 12%, driven by demand for developers and AI/ML specialists.

While IT remains the top growth driver, other support and operational roles have gained traction as companies scale core and enabling teams beyond metros. Hiring for marketing & communications job roles stood at 24%, sales and business development at 28%, and HR and admin roles at 31% in smaller cities, respectively.

On a month-on-month basis, consumer-facing sectors and tech roles saw notable momentum. Retail led all industries with a 10% MoM rise, driven by festive prep and expansion across Tier-2 markets. 

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/from-intel-to-bumble-mass-layoffs-continue-in-june-with-over-10000-jobs-to-go-71913.html">From Intel to Bumble, mass layoffs continue in June, with over 10,000 jobs to go</a>

Among the Tier-2 cities, Coimbatore (at 26% YoY), Nagpur (24%), and Nasik (24%) led in Tier-2 hiring, driven by IT, Banking and Financial, Manufacturing, and FMCG sectors.

"For employers, these cities offer strategic opportunities for sustained growth, driven by improved infrastructure, targeted investments, and the strategic intent to diversify geographically. This growth, the strongest we've seen in recent years, clearly underlines Tier-2 cities' increasing importance in India's employment landscape," said Pranay Kale, Chief Revenue & Growth Officer (CRGO) of foundit.

In contrast, the hiring trend in Tier-1 cities such as Delhi-NCR (+5% YoY), Chennai (+18%), and Bengaluru (+16%) remained lower than their Tier-2 counterparts. 

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/digital/ai-now-writes-25-of-code-at-amazon-microsoft-tech-jobs-massively-affected-71527.html">AI now writes 25% of code at Amazon, Microsoft, tech jobs massively affected</a>

Freshers hiring, with 0-3 years of experience, accounted for 61% of Tier-2 job postings, fuelled by sectors like IT, retail, logistics, and BFSI. 

Healthcare, education, and manufacturing sectors recruited majorly mid-level talent with 4-9 years of experience from Tier-2 cities. Senior-level hiring primarily happened in telecom, energy, and healthcare sectors in non-metro cities in June 2025.

IT hiring soars by 53% in Tier-2 cities in June 2025; Demand surges for AI-ML specialists

To boost job opportunities and social security, the Centre on Tuesday approved the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme across all sectors.

Under the ELI scheme, while the first-time employees will get one month’s wage up to Rs 15,000, the employers will be given incentives for a period of two years for generating additional employment, with extended benefits for another two years for the manufacturing sector.

The Centre had announced the ELI scheme in the Union Budget 2024-25 to support employment generation, skilling, and other opportunities for India's 4.1 crore youth. 

	
<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/from-intel-to-bumble-mass-layoffs-continue-in-june-with-over-10000-jobs-to-go-71913.htm">From Intel to Bumble, mass layoffs continue in June, with over 10,000 jobs to go</a>

With an outlay of Rs 99,446 Crore, the ELI Scheme aims to create more than 3.5 crore jobs over a period of two years. The benefits of the schemes will come into effect between 1 August 2025 and 31 July 2027.

	
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For first-time employees, with salaries up to Rs 1 lakh, the scheme will offer one-month EPF wage up to Rs 15,000 in two installments. The first installment will be payable after 6 months of service, and the second installment will be payable after 12 months of service and completion of a financial literacy programme by the employee. 

Additionally, the employers will get incentives with respect to employees with salaries up to Rs 1 lakh. The Centre will incentivize employers, up to Rs 3000 per month, for two years, for each additional employee with sustained employment for at least six months. For the manufacturing sector, incentives will be extended to the 3rd and 4th years as well.

The payments to first-time employees will be made through the DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) mode using the Aadhar Bridge Payment System (ABPS). On the other hand, payments to the employers will be made directly into their PAN-linked Accounts.

Govt approves Employment Linked Incentive scheme, disburses Rs 99,446 crore for job creation

Mahindra & Mahindra Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (CEO & MD) Dr Anish Shah's annual pay package has jumped by 95.42% in the fiscal year 2025. The Group's auto and farm segment's CEO, Rajesh Jejurikar, remuneration surged by 98.81% in the same duration. 

Dr Shah's remuneration soared to Rs 47.33 crore for FY25, comprising salary of Rs 16.4 crore, company's contribution to funds of Rs 65.38 lakh, allowances Rs 1.13 lakh, and prerequisites related to ESOPs exercised Rs 30.18 crore. Employee Stock Options and Performance Pay were the only components of remuneration that were performance-linked. Shah was granted 33,733 stock options in 2024, and the vesting period is November 2025, 2026 and 2027. In FY24, Shah's annual remuneration was Rs 24.22 crore, according to the Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd annual report. 

On the other hand, Jejurikar's FY25 remuneration stood at Rs 38.27 crore compared to Rs 19.25 crore salary package in the year ago period. Jejurikar was granted 28,979 stock options in the same period.

The ratio of Shah's remuneration to the median remuneration of employees jumped to 411.57 in the fiscal year 2025.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/itc-chairman-sanjiv-puri-draws-rs-26-66-crore-salary-in-fy25-employee-remuneration-up-5-72445.htm">ITC Chairman Sanjiv Puri draws Rs 26.66 crore salary in FY25, employee remuneration up 5% </a>

At M&M, the average percentage increase made in salaries of employees was 10.16% while the increase in the managerial remuneration was 83.91% for FY25. The median remuneration of the employees in the Group stood at 11.52 lakh, with a headcount of permanent employees of 25,222 as of 31 March 2025.

Shah was appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Mahindra Group on 2 April 2021. He was reappointed this year in April. 

The board members had approved the basic salary of Dr Shah as MD & CEO in the scale of Rs 18,00,000 to Rs 30,00,000 per month with effect from 2nd April, 2021 to 31st March, 2025 (both days inclusive) and perquisites and performance pay not exceeding 200% and 150% of the Annual Basic Salary respectively.

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Shah joined the Mahindra Group in 2014 as Group President (Strategy). In 2019, he was appointed Deputy Managing Director and Group CFO. However, as Group CEO and Managing Director since 2021, Shah was responsible for Brand Equity, Strategic planning, and External relations, including achieving annual and long-term business targets, monitoring market dynamics, and identifying growth opportunities.

Meanwhile, Jejurikar's ratio of remuneration to median remuneration of employees stood at 332.78 in FY25. Jejurikar took over as the Executive Director of the Automotive and Farm sectors on 23 May 2023. Jejurikar joined Mahindra in 2000 as Vice President – Marketing for the Automotive Sector. He was then appointed Executive Vice President – Sales & Marketing and went on to become the Managing Director of Mahindra Renault. Jejurikar became Chief of Operations of the Automotive Sector, and in 2010, he was appointed Chief Executive for the Automotive Division and Member of the Group Executive Board. He became President of the farm equipment sector in 2015.

M&M CEO Anish Shah's pay package jumps by 95.42% to Rs 47.3 crore in FY25; Employee salaries rise 10%

ITC Limited Chairman and Managing Director Sanjiv Puri's annual salary increased by 1.94% in fiscal year 2025. However, the average remuneration of employees increased by 5% in the same fiscal.

According to the annual report of ITC Ltd, Puri received a paycheck of Rs 26.66 crore in FY25 compared to Rs 25.17 crore in the fiscal 2024.

The ratio of remuneration to median remuneration witnessed a year-on-year decline. In FY25, Puri's ratio of remuneration to median remuneration of all ITC employees stood at 377:1 compared to 401:1 in FY24. Notably, ITC's permanent employee count dropped by 11.4% year-on-year in FY25.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/tcs-presses-pause-on-salary-hikes-plans-to-hire-42000-engineers-from-campuses-in-fy26-62101.htm">TCS presses pause on salary hikes; plans to hire 42,000 engineers from campuses in FY26</a>

The FMCG giant's permanent employees count dropped from 24,567 in FY24 to 22,041 as of March 31, 2025.

ITC has cut the remuneration of all its Key Managerial Personnel (KMPs), such as the Chairman, Chief Financial Officer, Executive Director, Non-Executive Director, Independent Director, and Executive Vice President, by 11% in FY25. ITC had a total of 22 KMPs as of March 31, 2025.

Puri's basic salary stood at Rs 3.5 crore, while prerequisites and other benefits scaled up by 27.3% to Rs 73.46 lakh in FY25 YoY. Whereas, his performance bonus remained flat at Rs 21.3 crore in financial year 2025.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/nestle-indias-incoming-chairman-manish-tiwarys-annual-pay-soars-to-rs-3-crore-in-fy25-68651.htm">Nestlé India's incoming chairman Manish Tiwary gets Rs 15 crore joining compensation</a>

Meanwhile, ITC's rival firm Hindustan Unilever disbursed a remuneration of Rs 23.23 crore to the CEO and Managing Director Rohit Jawa, marking a 3.75% increase. 

Jawa's salary package included a base salary of Rs 3.65 crore, allowances totaling Rs 11.45 crore, a performance bonus of Rs 3.78 crore, and long-term incentives valued at Rs 2.76 crore.

In contrast, Nestlé India's outgoing CMD Suresh Narayanan's total remuneration stood at Rs 23.4 crore for FY25. While, the incoming chairman, Manish Tiwary earned an annual pay of nearly Rs 3 crore in the same period.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/hul-boosts-digital-media-spending-to-40-of-total-ad-budget-68081.htm">HUL chief Rohit Jawa’s pay rises 3.75% to Rs23.23 crore amid workforce decline</a>

ITC registered a consolidated profit of Rs 35,052.48 crore in FY25, an increase of 69% YoY, while the annual expenses surged by 14% to Rs 57,325.95 crore during the same period.

ITC Chairman Sanjiv Puri draws Rs 26.66 crore salary in FY25, employee remuneration up 5%

A fresh wave of mass layoffs has hit the US-based companies in June and over 1 lakh job cuts have already taken place at the technology giants in the first half of 2025.

Semiconductor giant, Intel, has begun layoffs in California of 20% of its global workforce, that is around 10,000 of its workers in July. The anticipated job cuts may happen despite Intel receiving more than $2 billion in federal funding under President Biden's signature CHIPS Act.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has planned to terminate more employees from sales and marketing roles. The Redmond-based company, which said it was firing more than 6,000 employees in mid-May, later terminated another 305 Washington employees. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/microsoft-veteran-returns-to-office-after-layoff-worked-23-years-in-the-company-71905.htm">Microsoft veteran returns to office after layoff, worked 23 years in the company</a>

Media & Entertainment giant Walt Disney has also announced a spate of layoffs, with product and technology division staff affected this time. According to Adweek, the latest round of layoffs impacts under 2% of the group. Earlier this year, Disney cut nearly 200 roles at ABC News and its Entertainment Networks divisions.

This week, dating platform Bumble has joined the list of companies who have sacked hundreds of staff. Bumble is likely to cut 240 job roles, 30% of its workforce in the coming days. Rival Match also announced a 13% reduction last month.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/2025-tech-layoffs-microsoft-google-linkedin-among-companies-cutting-thousands-of-jobs-69203.htm">2025 tech layoffs: Microsoft, Google, LinkedIn among companies cutting thousands of jobs</a>

The companies have attributed the layoffs to streamlining their work operation, cost cutting, and increased adoption of Artificial Intelligence, among others.

Recently, Amazon.com Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andy Jassy also informed that the e-commerce firm will substantially shrink its workforce in the coming years as it adopts generative AI tools and AI agents.

“We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs,” Jassy wrote to Amazon employees in the memo.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/disney-hit-by-major-global-layoffs-across-tv-film-entertainment-corporate-finance-68454.htm">Disney hit by major global layoffs across TV & film entertainment, corporate finance</a>

Amazon's rival Walmart has also announced that it will lay off 381 employees across four locations in Silicon Valley. As per the San Francisco Chronicle report, the layoffs in Sunnyvale are scheduled to take effect on 22 August, which are part of broader restructuring efforts.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-signals-ai-led-workforce-realignment-70832.htm">Amazon CEO Andy Jassy signals AI-led workforce realignment</a>

Sports retailer Nike has also said it will be laying off some of its employees in its technology division. While the company has not specified how many employees will be laid off, the company will shift some of the work to third-party vendors.

Earlier this year, Google also downsized 200 workers from the Android, Pixel phones, and Chrome browser division, as well as, the department that handles partnership and sales.

From Intel to Bumble, mass layoffs continue in June, with over 10,000 jobs to go

Infosys has accused US IT firm Cognizant of poaching employees involved in its healthcare platform Helix. According to a report by Business Standard, Infosys has alleged that two senior Cognizant executives, Chief People Officer Kathryn Diaz and Americas President Surya Gummadi played a significant role in hiring critical personnel who were part of formerly part of Helix team.

The battle between two IT majors has reignited. Infosys, in January this year, made a similar allegation against Cognizant Chief Executive Officer Ravi Kumar S, who led Helix previously. The Indian IT firm alleged that Kumar had stalled the platform's rollout while negotiating his move to Cognizant. 

Kumar resigned from Infosys in October 2022 and was appointed as Cognizant’s CEO in January 2023.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/from-wipro-to-infosys-indias-it-giants-see-massive-pay-gap-between-ceos-and-employees-71574.htm">From Wipro to Infosys, India's IT giants see massive pay gap between CEOs and employees</a>

Infosys added that when Kumar was leading the Helix project he hired Shveta Arora and Ravi Kuchibhotla. Later both of them joined Cognizant in December 2023 and August 2024, respectively.

Cognizant has rejected Infosys's allegations, calling them 'misleading'. The US IT giant rebutted saying Infosys stole its trade secrets related to the TriZetto healthcare platform.


The legal battle between Cognizant and Infosys over intellectual property theft goes back to August 2024. However, Cognizant rejected claims asking Dallas court in the US to compel Cognizant to properly identify the trade secrets in question. Infosys said it would take decisive action to address any allegations that compromise "competitive standing".

The Bengaluru-based firm said that Gummadi would have documents related to the 2014 acquisition of TriZetto, as well as, knowledge of Cognizant’s strategic approach in the healthcare payer software and IT services markets both before and after the acquisition.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/infosys-axes-another-240-trainees-for-failing-internal-assessments-62716.htm">Infosys lays off another 240 trainees for failing internal assessments</a>

Both companies are vying to become a leading player in the healthcare space. Cognizant generates revenue of about $6 billion from its clients in the health and science sector.

Cognizant said that Infosys has no evidence suggesting that Gummadi and Diaz have documents pertaining to the acquisition of TriZetto. The company said Kumar and the other two were hired based on their skills.

A mint report said that Infosys might treble the damages sought from Cognizant.

Infosys accuses Cognizant of poaching key talent to sabotage Helix platform

The pay gap between IT company chairmen and Managing Directors and their employees has widened dramatically over the past four years.

According to Storyboard18's analysis of India's top-listed IT services firms, Wipro's chairman Rishad Premji has the lowest pay ratio to median employee remuneration. This means that the gap between Premji's salary and the average employee's earnings is the smallest at Wipro. 

However, the pay ratio has surged from 10.80 in fiscal year 2021 to 140.54 in fiscal year 2025, reflecting a massive year-on-year increase.

Rishad Premji's FY25 remuneration surged to Rs 13.7 crore, up from Rs 6.5 crore in the previous fiscal year. His compensation package included salary, allowances, commission, performance-based payments, prerequisites, and the company's contribution to provident fund and superannuation, as well as the value of registered stock units.

In contrast, Wipro's employee benefits, comprising salaries and bonuses, PF, and shared compensation declined 2.8% year-on-year to Rs 533,477 million in FY25. According to the company, the decrease in total employee compensation costs was attributed to a lower average headcount, partially offset by salary increases and promotions. 

Premji's salary has been volatile, with his pay ratio to median employee remuneration fluctuating significantly. In FY22, it stood at 174.02:1. 

Infosys Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and MD Salil Parekh recorded the highest salary gap with employees in FY25, with a pay ratio of 752:1, up from 677 in the previous financial year. Parekh's salary saw a spike of 21.6% to Rs 80.62 crore in FY25. 

Meanwhile, Infosys employees in India received an average annual salary increase of 12%, including promotions and other compensation revisions.

In contrast, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) CEO K Krithivasan's pay ratio to median remuneration was 329.8 in FY25, marginally higher than the 326.81 recorded by former CEO Rajesh Gopinathan in FY21. 

Krithivasan's total compensation increased by 4.6% to Rs 26.52 crore in FY25, while TCS employees received an average annual salary hike of 6.3%.

Noida-based HCL Technologies has not disclosed its median remuneration for fiscal year 2025 yet. However,  in FY24, CEO C Vijayakumar's pay ratio to employees' median salary was 707.46, with the CEO earning $10.06 million. 

According to Equila, the salary disparity is largely driven by performance-based compensation and stock awards, which typically account for around 70% of top executives' total pay packages.

From Wipro to Infosys, India's IT giants see massive pay gap between CEOs and employees

The Karnataka government's latest proposal on 10-hour workdays has exploded like a bombshell, potentially disrupting the work-life balance of employees across sectors, experts warn. This week, the Karnataka government proposed reforms to labour laws, suggesting a maximum workday of 10-12 hours. 

Experts said that extended work hours will only increase the proportion of non-productive hours per day. Non-productive hours refer to the period when employees' cognitive capacity and output diminish.

"Forcing people to work 10 to 12 hours a day, will lead to exhaustion, burnout, and mental health issues," Advocate Harpreet Singh Saluja, President at Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), told Storyboard18.

"Productivity might appear to go up on paper, but in reality, overworked employees become less creative, less motivated, and more prone to errors".

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Kamal Karanth, Co-founder, Xpheno - a specialist staffing firm echoed similar concerns about productivity slumps. "While the move will enable increased physical presence in the office, it may not effectively increase the output or productivity, as the ceiling for effective productive hours will not rise proportionately," Karanth said.

However, Sonal Arora, Country Manager, GI Group Holding believes that the move will benefit some sectors, such as Manufacturing or retail with shift efficiencies. 

India's Economic Survey 2024-25 flagged that inflexible working hour limits and overtime restrictions for factory workers can hinder the ability to meet demand surges. 

Unlike India, where the working hours limit in a factory is 10.5 hours, countries like China, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, and Indonesia have no such limits.

The Survey recommended changes to labour laws, focusing on achieving better outcomes for economic growth and prosperity in the manufacturing sector.

'Exodus of employees'

Experts emphasized that Gen Z has become a dominant force in the corporate landscape, and they predict that the proposed 12-hour workday amendments will trigger a mass exodus of employees from Karnataka. Businesses will prioritize retaining next-generation employees and preventing voluntary resignations among the GenZ workforce.

According to a report by career platform, Unstop, Gen Z values work-life balance and job satisfaction over the allure of hefty paychecks.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/infosyss-nr-narayana-murthy-defends-70-hour-work-week-says-he-used-to-work-85-90-hours-19773.htm">Infosys's NR Narayana Murthy defends 70-hour work week; says he used to work 85-90 hours</a>

Unlike the previous generations who prioritized financial stability, Gen Z professionals seek personal fulfillment, flexible hours, and fit mental health. 

"The proposal sends a wrong message, that profits matter more than people," Saluja said.

'Countries with prolonged working hours'

Several countries promote prolonged working hours policies. According to the data from the International Labour Organization (ILO), Bhutan tops with list with the highest average working hours globally at 54.4 hours per week. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranks second with an average of 50.9 hours per week, followed by Lesotho (50.4 hours), Congo (48.6 hours), Qatar (48 hours), Liberia (47.7), Mauritania (47.6), respectively.

India ranks 13th among the world’s most overworked countries, with an average worker working 46.7 hours each week.

For decades, Japan and South Korea have had similar philosophies regarding long working hours. However, a recent report highlights a shift in Japan's corporate landscape, where the new generation is opting for shorter hours to reduce the deaths caused by overwork.

According to science, working extra hours won’t actually make a difference at work, but it will certainly wreak long-term damage on the body. Several researchers have found that the longer employees work, the higher their levels of stress, depression, and suicidal ideation.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/burnout-crisis-grips-indias-it-sector-25-of-professionals-work-70-hours-weekly-report-61114.htm">Burnout crisis grips India's IT sector: 25% of professionals work 70+ hours weekly: Report</a>

In the case of Karnataka, Karanth pointed out that traffic congestion could be an additional concern in this debate. "In cities and geographies, the physical infrastructure conditions require adding an additional 2-4 hours for work-related commute per day. A 12-hour office time would hence translate to 15 - 16 hours of being away in work mode for employees and that will take away a lot from their personal time," he said.

The "long working day" proposal could damage Karnataka’s long-standing reputation as an employee-friendly tech hub, Saluja noted.

'Salary vs prolonged working hours'

Experts have raised another issue with Karnataka's proposed long workday--the salary component. The shift in work hours has raised expectations around compensation or benefits. Arora argued that "Attracting and retaining talent may require companies to revisit their value proposition beyond just pay, focusing on flexibility, wellbeing, and growth". 

If salaries don’t increase in line with longer hours, it’s outright exploitation, another expert said.

According to Xpheno data, Karnataka's Bengaluru emerged as the only "talent-positive" megacity across the country in 2023 - 2024 period. Bengaluru absorbed 1,23,000 talents while Hyderabad absorbed 60,000 such individuals during that period.

However, Saluja argued that if the Karnataka government officially passes the controversial proposal, states like Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra may reap the benefit. He said, "Employees will naturally prefer locations where they are respected, not pushed to breaking point".

While the final outcome hangs in the balance, experts warn that Karnataka may soon lose its reputation as a progressive state by ignoring sustainable employment and corporate well-being.

Karnataka govt's 12-hour workday proposal legalizes exploitation, experts warn

Global e-commerce giant Amazon.com's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andy Jassy has expressed strong optimism for artificial intelligence technology. Citing a few examples of how the online shopping platform has integrated AI, Jassy said Amazon has over 1,000 Generative AI services and applications in progress or built.

In an internal memo, Jassy said Amazon has built a suite of AI tools that smoothen brands to plan, onboard, create, and optimize campaigns. "In Q1 alone, over 50K advertisers used these capabilities," he added.

Further, talking about internal operations, Jassy said AI has helped in improving inventory placement, demand forecasting, and the efficiency of robots. The constant work on AI has also improved the cost to serve and delivery speed.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/plumbers-will-survive-automation-better-than-office-workers-says-godfather-of-ai-70893.htm">‘Plumbers will survive automation better than office workers’, says godfather of AI</a>

However, the current work on Gen AI services is only a small fraction of what Amazon has projected, Jassy said. 

As the company will roll out Gen AI and agents in the future, Jassy stressed it would change the work environment entirely. According to Jassy, there would be massive job cuts as Amazon has increased focus on implementing AI services across the segments, including shopping, Alexa, advertising, and internal operations.

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"We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs. It’s hard to know exactly where this nets out over time, but in the next few years, we expect that this will reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains from using AI extensively across the company," the Amazon CEO asserted.

Amazon has laid off more than 22,000 employees since 2022. This year, the e-retailer laid off 100 employees in its devices and services division, including Alexa voice assistant, Echo hardware, Ring video doorbells and Zoox robotaxis.

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