Biocon name board defaced after founder opposes Karnataka job quota bill

A video that went viral on social media shows black paint smeared on the logos and name of Biocon, but there is no confirmation about the location.

Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

BENGALURU: Unidentified individuals smeared black paint on a name board of Biocon, after its founder, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, opposed the proposed reservation for Kannadigas in the private sector. Many other industry leaders and IT tycoons have also opposed the bill.

A video that went viral on social media shows black paint smeared on the logos and name of Biocon, but there is no confirmation about the location. A pro-Kannada organisation shared the video of the smeared paint on social media. After facing backlash from industry and entrepreneurs, the Karnataka government on Wednesday put the reservation bill on hold. Earlier on Monday, the bill was passed in the cabinet. It stated that 50% of all management jobs and 70% of all non-management jobs in private companies are reserved for locals.

A social media post of Mazumdar-Shaw said, “As a tech hub, we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals, we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly-skilled recruitment from this policy.