“I Wholeheartedly appreciate Infosys for its incentives to employees transferring to its Hubballi campus. Earlier demands were made from public representatives of this place for increased activity at this centre. Tier 2 cities will have a better exposure for further growth in terms of opportunities and growth for the talented youth,” the Union Minister posted on social media platform X, quoting a report from The Economic Times.
Joshi represents Hubballi-Dharwad in the Lok Sabha.
Patil said the move would encourage local talent from the Kittur Karnataka region to explore opportunities closer to home, fostering community ties and local development. “Infosys’ commitment to state-of-the-art campuses and employing thousands of engineers globally exemplifies its leadership and positive impact on regional economies. This initiative not only supports local growth but also showcases Infosys’ dedication to innovation and employee welfare in the tech industry,” the minister said in a post on X, citing the same ET report. Patil hails from Vijayapura district in the Assembly.
Infosys on Monday announced a transfer policy offering an incentive package to its employees open to take a transfer to its Hubballi development centre, as the country’s second-largest information technology company seeks to strengthen its operations in the tier-2 city in the Mumbai-Karnataka region.
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The company told employees in an email, a copy of which was seen by ET, that the location has a huge potential for growth and “is waiting for a talent like you to build the future”. “It’s your turn to grow glocal and consider pursuing your career at Hubballi DC,” it said.The policy applies to employees at band 2 and above handling projects (delivery) from any development centre in India. Employees at band 3 and below will get Rs 25,000 at the time of relocation (transfer) and Rs 25,000 every six months thereafter for two years. Employees at these levels will get Rs 1.25 lakh at the end of 24 months. Others will get Rs 2.5 lakh (level 4), Rs 5 lakh (level 5), Rs 6 lakh (level 6) and Rs 8 lakh (level 7), including the initial relocation allowance, at the end of 24 months.
Employees at bands 2 and 3 are entry-level employees polishing their skills on projects.
Infosys did not respond to ET’s emailed queries.
The company’s policy is aimed at encouraging employees hailing from Mumbai-Karnataka to explore opportunities in their home region, said people in the know. This will also help the IT firm put the infrastructure at the modern facility to optimal use and save on costs, they said, adding that the policy comes with a sweetener as it allows employees to work on their current projects from Hubballi.
The move follows a heated discussion in the Karnataka assembly in February on the company’s Hubballi campus being a non-starter. BJP MLA Arvind Bellad said the company acquired 58 acres of land in his constituency of Hubli-Dharwad West promising a world-class campus and jobs, but the sprawling area was being used to grow plantations.
Bellad welcomed the IT firm’s incentive policy saying it would aid the region’s development, create direct and indirect jobs and help reunite many employees with their families.
In its annual report released in April 2023, Infosys had said, “As part of this strategy, this year, we will set up offices in Hubballi, Indore, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur and Coimbatore, in India.”