Infosys has issued approximately 600 placement offer letters to students from engineering colleges in and around Dharwad district as part of its strategy to ramp up operations at its Hubballi development centre. As reported by Economic Times, the students who have received these offers are expected to join after April this year. This move is part of Infosys’ broader plan to hire talented youth from local colleges to scale up its staff strength.
The Hubballi development centre, which currently employs over 900 employees and 100 support staff, has seen a three-fold growth in staff numbers over the past year. The centre is expected to continue growing in the coming years. In addition to local hiring, Infosys has implemented a transfer policy offering incentives to employees from other centres who are willing to relocate to Hubballi.
Infosys accused of ‘betrayal at its best’
Despite these efforts, Infosys has faced criticism for not doing enough to start full-fledged operations at the Hubballi centre. Last year, BJP MLA Arvind Bellad accused the company of “betrayal at its best” for not fulfilling its promise of creating a world-class campus and jobs in the Hubli-Dharwad West constituency. Bellad claimed that the 58 acres of land acquired by Infosys were being used to grow plantations instead of developing the promised campus.
Bellad also posted a video on microblogging website X (formerly Twitter) where he tagged Infosys.
“Betrayal at its finest! @Infosys promised jobs, but all we got were empty #promises and trees. #Infosys #Hubli was granted 58 acres of land which is in my constituency with the aim of fostering employment for the entire North Karnataka region, yet it has failed to deliver on job creation. As a representative, I can’t face the farmers I pacified anymore. It’s time for Infosys to face the consequences and for the government to reclaim the land that’s rightfully ours,” he wrote.
The issue of the under-staffed Hubballi centre was raised again in the Legislative Council session, with BJP member SV Sankanur and Council chairman Basavaraj Horatti urging Industries Minister MB Patil to intervene and ensure that Infosys starts full-fledged operations. The minister assured that he would soon hold a meeting with the company to address the concerns.
Infosys has reiterated its commitment to the Hubballi centre, stating that the location has significant growth potential and is waiting for talented individuals to build its future. The company has also highlighted its hybrid work model, which offers flexibility for employees to work from home or the office, depending on their location.