Amid ‘Boycott PhonePe’ campaign, CEO Sameer Nigam apologises for his statement on Karnataka job reservation Bill
Several social media users also criticised PhonePe CEO Nigam for his post on Karnataka’s domicile quota in the jobs Bill.
4 min read
PhonePe founder and CEO Sameer Nigam apologised on Sunday for his comments over Karnataka’s draft job reservation Bill, stating that he never intended to insult the state and its people. Nigam’s statement came after some Kannada groups started a ‘Boycott Phone Pe’ campaign.
The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and other pro-Kannada organisations and members launched the campaign on social media to boycott PhonePe after Nigam’s post on X commenting on the Karnataka Cabinet approved The Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024’. The Karnataka Government withheld the Bill, which mandates 75 per cent reservation in non-management jobs and 50 per cent in management jobs for “local candidates” in the private sector, after stakeholders opposed it.
On Sunday, Nigam said in a statement, “I would first and foremost like to clarify that it was NEVER my intention to insult Karnataka and its people. If my comments hurt anyone’s sentiments in such a way, I am truly sorry and would like to offer you an unconditional apology.”
“PhonePe was born in Bengaluru and we are incredibly proud of our roots in this city, which is well known for its world-class technology talent and vibrant diversity. From Bengaluru, over the past decade we have expanded across the length and breadth of India and been able to deliver secure and efficient digital payments for over 55 Crore Indians,” Nigam said in his statement.
As Nigam hailed Bengaluru’s reputation as the Silicon Valley of India, its “incredible culture of innovation”, he said, “As a company, we are deeply grateful for the supportive business environment that Karnataka’s governments and its local Kannadiga populace have offered us. Without such an inclusive ecosystem and progressive policies, Bengaluru would not have become a global technology superpower”.
“If my comments hurt anyone’s sentiments in such a way, I am truly sorry and would like to offer you an unconditional apology. I have the highest regard for Kannada, and all other Indian languages. In fact, I truly believe that linguistic diversity and rich cultural heritage is a national asset that all Indians should be proud of; and all Indians should be respectful of and celebrate local and cultural norms,” he added.
The PhonePe CEO said startups in Bengaluru are competing against Google, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft. “To do so, these companies must be able to employ the very best talent available in India purely based on their technology skills and proficiency in fields such as Coding, Design, Product Management, Data Sciences, Machine Learning, AI and beyond. As a nation, that is the only way we can build world-class companies that can compete in the global village that we live in today,” he said.
“I also want to help create lakhs of jobs for Bengaluru and Karnataka. And, I believe with more dialogue and discussion, we can find ways to create more sustainable employment avenues. Let’s all work together to do this meaningfully and while creating long-term impact.”
According to PhonePe, there are 4,36,68,141 users in Karnataka with transactions worth Rs 2,79,64,39,155 between January and March.
Several social media users also criticised Nigam for his post on Karnataka’s domicile quota in the jobs Bill.
Mohammed Iliyas on X said, “I always preferred @PhonePe over any other UPI apps due to its Swadeshi origin. @_sameernigam , Karnataka helped you to grow up. You came here to build your career, not to improve Bengaluru. This is the time to say goodbye to PhonePe. #UninstallPhonePe #BoycottPhonePe.”
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