Amid Karnataka Job Quota Row, Kerala, Andhra Jump In To Woo Investors

With NASSCOM expressing disappointment over the Karnataka Cabinet's approval of a bill that reserves jobs for locals in private industries, the rumblings in the neighbouring southern states have grown louder.

The bill, passed on Tuesday, July 16, aimed to allocate 50% of managerial roles and 75% of non-managerial roles to locals in various companies. However, following widespread criticism, the Congress-led government in Karnataka decided to postpone the bill on Wednesday, July 17.

Responding to NASSCOM's concerns, Nara Lokesh, Andhra Pradesh's Minister for Information Technology and Electronics, took to X to invite investors to consider relocating their businesses to Andhra Pradesh.

He assured them of best-in-class facilities, uninterrupted power, excellent infrastructure, and access to skilled talent without any employment restrictions. Lokesh, who is the son of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, specifically highlighted Vizag's potential as a hub for IT, IT services, AI, and data centers.

"Dear @NASSCOM members, We understand your disappointment. We welcome you to expand or relocate your businesses to our IT, IT services, AI and data center cluster at Vizag. We will offer you best-in-class facilities, uninterrupted power, infrastructure and the most suitable skilled talent for your IT enterprise with no restrictions from the Government. Andhra Pradesh is ready to welcome you. Please get in touch!," read Lokesh's post.

Dear @NASSCOM members,

We understand your disappointment. We welcome you to expand or relocate your businesses to our IT, IT services, AI and data center cluster at Vizag.

We will offer you best-in-class facilities, uninterrupted power, infrastructure and the most suitable… https://t.co/x2N0CTbnfp

— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) July 17, 2024

In a similar vein, Kerala's Law and Industries Minister, P Rajeev, encouraged companies to invest in Kerala, highlighting that talent and merit would be the sole criteria for recruitment. He touted Kerala's highly skilled workforce, pleasant climate, and conducive business environment as attractive factors for investment.

"Despite representing just 2.8% of India's population and occupying 1.2% of its land area, Kerala contributes over 4% to India's GDP. According to a recent study, from 2018-19 to 2022-23, Kerala attracted a staggering ₹91,575 crore in new investment projects, with completed projects worth ₹33,815 crores, creating approximately five lakh new job opportunities. This underscores Kerala's economic dynamism and potential as a thriving business destination," said Rajeev.

Despite representing just 2.8% of Indias population and occupying 1.2% of its land area, Kerala contributes over 4% to Indias GDP. According to a recent study, from 2018-19 to 2022-23, Kerala attracted a staggering ₹91,575 crore in new investment projects, with completed… pic.twitter.com/vz7TwHzcmU

— P Rajeev (@PRajeevOfficial) July 17, 2024

Meanwhile, Sridhar Babu Duddilla, Telangana's Minister, welcomed IT/BT companies to Hyderabad, promoting the city as a potential global IT and AI hub. He pledged the government's commitment to creating a supportive environment for companies to thrive, aiming for Hyderabad to become a leader in technology innovation and business operations globally.