Kavitha Kalvakuntla, daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, raised on Wednesday concerns over growing job insecurity in India's technology sector amid large-scale layoffs impacting thousands of IT professionals, warning that the rapid push towards artificial intelligence should not come at the cost of workers' livelihoods, particularly in Hyderabad.
The former Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader said the role of artificial intelligence in shaping the future of the technology industry is growing but at the same time cautioned against allowing rapid adoption to come at the cost of workers' livelihoods. She argued that while AI is an essential tool for long-term competitiveness, its implementation should not translate into sudden and widespread job losses for existing professionals.
In a post on social media platform X, Kalvakuntla described the situation as "beyond scary," and wrote, "I have said it in the past, and I will say it again! This is beyond scary. First Jack Dorsey's 4,000, now reports of the massive Oracle layoff (est. 30k) impacting 12,000+ lives in India, mostly in hubs like Hyderabad." [sic].
Criticising the state government's response, she alleged that the Telangana administration has failed to adequately address the scale of the crisis. She called the issue an "elephant in the room," stating that official silence has amplified anxiety among IT employees and their families. "The Revanth Reddy government seems completely clueless, ignoring the elephant in the room while our IT professionals face this uncertainty. Telangana needs a roadmap NOW. Who is looking out for these thousands of families?," [sic] added Kalvakuntla.
This comes after the US-based technology major Oracle reportedly laid off approximately 12,000 employees in India, with another round of job cuts expected within the next month. The layoffs are part of a broader global downsizing exercise in which the company has reportedly reduced its workforce by around 30,000 employees worldwide.
ALSO READ: Oracle Fires Around 12,000 Employees In India, Another Round Likely Within A Month
India layoffs have already affected nearly 40% of the company's local workforce. Oracle is estimated to employ about 30,000 people in India, including those now laid off.
Oracle has declined to comment on the development. However, in an internal email sent to staff and reviewed by employees, the company attributed the job cuts to organisational changes. "Because of these changes, a decision has been taken to streamline the operations, and as a result, unfortunately, the position you currently hold will become redundant," the email stated, as reported by news agency PTI.
As part of the severance package, Oracle has offered 15 days' salary for each completed year of service, along with one month's unpaid wages up to the termination date, leave encashment, gratuity subject to eligibility, and payment in lieu of a one-month notice period. In addition, the company has proposed a two-month salary top-up. However, employees said this enhanced severance package is being offered only to those who choose to resign voluntarily and amicably from the company, reported PTI.
ALSO READ: Oracle Layoffs: 'Helped Build FreeSQL' — Employee Who Lost Job Pens Note
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